A Macomb flight nurse will be recognized on a national stage for her actions in saving a trauma patient's life.
Julie Humes is a flight nurse with Air Evac Lifeteam Base 144, which is based in Macomb. She has been named one of the American Ambulance Association's Stars of Life. She is among 32 emergency medical professionals nationwide to receive the honor this year.
The award recognizes Humes' quick thinking and courage during a foggy December night when weather conditions grounded air transport. But with a patient critically injured and bleeding heavily after a head-on car collision, Humes made a split-second decision to transport the patient by ground, despite poor driving conditions.
Humes provided blood and other critical interventions – and stayed by the patient's side until they were under the care of a hospital team.
"Julie's care and decision-making that night showed the depth of her compassion," said Tammy Wiemelt, Program Director for AEL Base 144, which provides emergency medical air transport and critical care response in west central Illinois and southeast Iowa. "Her actions represent the very heart of what EMS stands for."
The Stars of Life awards were created in 1996. They honor exceptional EMS professionals for outstanding service, leadership, and dedication to public safety.
Humes will join other Stars of Life winners from across the country at the AAA's national celebration, Nov. 2-5 in Washington, D.C.—an event dedicated to honoring the essential role of EMS in public health and safety.
She said she is grateful for the recognition, but credited the entire Air Evac Lifeteam Base 144 team.
"This is never a one-person job," Humes said. "We rely on each other to make the right decisions in the hardest moments. I'm proud to be part of a crew that always puts the patient first."
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