More than a Ride: Recognizing EMS Professionals During EMS Week
Author: Joe Salyer, BIllings Clinic Broadwater Public Relations Liaison
Article Published: 05/29/2026 Volume: 4 Edition: 47Joe Salyer
BiIlings Clinic Broadwater Public Relations Liaison
When an emergency happens, time narrows. Fear sets in. Families wait for answers. And often, before a hospital room or physician enters the picture, EMS professionals are already there, bringing skill, urgency and calm to moments of uncertainty.
In fact, the voices on the other end of that call, and the professionals who arrive minutes later, step into uncertainty every day. They bring advanced medical training, make critical decisions in seconds and begin delivering care long before a patient reaches the hospital.
During EMS Week, communities across the country recognize Emergency Medical Services professionals for the care they provide, often quietly and without recognition. In Broadwater County, those professionals include people like Billings Clinic Broadwater EMT Meagan Poe.
Poe has spent six years serving her community through EMS, but her passion for caring for others began long before that.
“I started in healthcare at 16 years old as a CNA in Townsend and always enjoyed helping people,” Poe said. “When people call for EMS, it’s usually one of the worst days of their lives, and I wanted to be the calm in their storm.”
That desire to help has carried her through years of responding to emergencies involving neighbors, friends, and even family members.
“Over the past six years working at Billings Clinic Broadwater, I have helped not only my community as a whole but also many people I grew up knowing,” Poe said. “Seeing the difference we can make has given me the drive to continue working in EMS.”
For many outside the profession, EMS work may seem straightforward: respond, transport, repeat. The reality is far more complex.
“We don’t just put people in the back of an ambulance and drive them to the hospital,” Poe said. “We have a job to do prior to transporting people.”
EMS professionals perform advanced medical interventions, stabilize patients, assess rapidly changing conditions, communicate critical information to receiving facilities, and begin treatment long before arriving at an emergency department. They often become the first link in a continuous chain of care.
“We are one continuous system of care for patients,” Poe explained. “EMS teams stabilize patients and gather information before getting to the hospital. At Billings Clinic Broadwater, there are many times that EMS teams stay at the ER and help the nurses and providers with patient care when needed.”
No two days or nights look the same.
“There is no typical shift,” Poe said. “I primarily work nights, so some shifts I’m basically living in the truck, and other nights I don’t go on a single call.”
The unpredictability is paired with emotional challenges many never see. EMS professionals routinely witness trauma, loss, and moments that stay with them long after a shift ends.
One experience remains especially meaningful for Poe.
While attending her son’s football practice, she learned of a nearby medical emergency involving a toddler.
“I stepped in until the EMS crew on shift arrived,” she recalled. “I was able to get the toddler breathing and awake again.”
Years later, watching that child continue to grow up remains deeply meaningful.
“Watching that toddler grow up for the years since that event has touched my heart in more ways than I ever thought possible,” Poe said.
Those moments, some difficult, some hopeful, often define careers in EMS.
For Poe, the work is about being part of something larger than herself.
“Caring for people and helping them get to the hospital when they are sick or injured isn’t only helping them in that moment, but hopefully long-term as well,” she said. “There are many times when you not only help the patient but also the family or friends.”
EMS Week serves as an opportunity to recognize those countless unseen acts of service: the long shifts, interrupted holidays, sleepless nights, difficult calls, and unwavering commitment to showing up when communities need them most.
“It’s always appreciated when we are recognized for our hard work and dedication,” Poe said. “EMS Week is about highlighting the importance of the work we do every day.”
As communities recognize EMS professionals this week, the need for EMTs, paramedics and emergency medical providers remains strong. For those interested in a challenging and rewarding career serving their community, Billings Clinic Broadwater continues to welcome individuals interested in joining its EMS team. Current opportunities can be viewed through the Billings Clinic careers page.
This week, Billings Clinic Broadwater urges communities to pause and recognize the professionals who answer the call, bring calm amid crisis, and work tirelessly to care for others.
Because EMS professionals are far more than drivers of an ambulance.
They are highly trained medical providers, compassionate communicators, problem-solvers and steady hands in moments that matter most.
And for many patients, they become the difference between fear and reassurance, uncertainty and hope.
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PhotoCredit: Billings Clinic Broadwater
Image 1 Caption: Meagan Poe
Billings Clinic Broadwater Photo
