A Huron County Paramedic has won this year's Medical Director Accommodation Award.
Huron County Chief of Emergency Services, Jeff Horseman, says the winner of the award is Zia Khogyani. Horseman explains the Medical Director Accommodation Award recognizes exceptional patient care.
"The Medical Director Accommodation Award is recognition for exceptional patient care in the pre-hospital setting, that the individual is expanding skills, has community based awareness, usually from volunteer work."
Horseman notes Zia has always been willing to enhance his skills, teach others, and give back to his community. Time and time again, Zia has gone above the call of duty and provided exceptional service to patients in urgent need and he's proud to have Zia on Huron County's paramedic team.
He adds, Khogyani really enjoys making sure that his fellow paramedics can learn from his experience.
"He's really enjoys making sure that his fellow paramedics can learn from his experience and his knowledge base, always volunteers for extra duties, special events type duties. Currently he's very involved in the COVID -19 vaccination clinics in Huron and Perth counties."
Over the last twenty years, Khogyani has built a remarkable career that includes service in paramedicine, firefighting, flight paramedicine, correctional services and paramedic education. He's worked as a paramedic locally, as well as throughout Ontario, the United States, and in Iqaluit, Nunavut. In Nunavut, he worked with the Baffin Regional Medivac on the Advanced Care Fixed-Wing Ambulance Service team, providing paramedicine to underserved and remote areas. In this role, he twice endured unscheduled, hastened and, unpowered landings and was even once stalked by a polar bear.