Miller named EMS Provider of the Year

Ralph Miller, a paramedic at Ohio County EMS in Hartford, has been named the 2021 Rural Kentucky EMS Provider of the Year.

The award, sponsored by the Kentucky Office of Rural Health and the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services, recognizes someone who works or volunteers at a rural Kentucky EMS service and who demonstrates exemplary pre-hospital patient care and a dedication to their community. Nominations were accepted from EMS professionals as well as the general public.

Miller began his first responder career as a volunteer firefighter. He became an emergency medical technician in 1996 and started working for Ohio County EMS soon after that. He became a paramedic in 2000.

Miller currently works as a paramedic shift supervisor at the service and also assists with training.

He is a certified critical care paramedic and a level III instructor.

One nominator noted that Miller is “a one of a kind person” and “the heart and soul” of Ohio County EMS. “He takes food to elderly people who cannot get out. He takes patients’ family members to the hospital in his own personal vehicle so they can be with loved ones. He gives his own money, time and effort to make sure complete strangers are taken care of. He holds patients’ hands and tells them it’s going to be OK.”

The nominator added: “He exemplifies what a paramedic should be. He exemplifies what a good person should be. He brings hope to those who are having their worst day, with kindness and compassion and empathy that few can match.”

Jim Duke, the president of Com Care Inc., which operates Ohio County EMS, calls Miller “a servant of his community in the truest sense.” Duke said Miller is “totally dedicated to the health and safety of those around him.”

The announcement of the Rural Kentucky EMS Provider of the Year coincides with National EMS Week, the one week set aside each year since 1974 to honor and celebrate EMS professionals and the work they do in communities across the country.

“EMS Week and the Rural Kentucky EMS Provider of the Year award allow us to call attention to the selfless work of EMS professionals across the Commonwealth,” said KORH Rural Outreach Coordinator Scott Helle. “Day in and day out, and in especially tough conditions during the current public health emergency, EMS providers like Ralph have supported their neighbors and their communities. They’ve had to adapt and respond. We’re so thankful that Ralph and all of his fellow EMS professionals are out there doing what they’re doing — caring for their communities.”