Thanks for working here Thursday: Burton Hayden, Paramedic, CCH Emergency Medical Services

Campbell County Health is proud of its employees, and we want the CCH family and the Campbell County community to know about the good work that they do for this organization.

Allow us to introduce Burton Hayden, a Paramedic with CCH Emergency Medical Services. Burton has worked for CCH off and on for four years (but has working in health care for 15) and is currently a Charge Medic on the team, meaning he has supervisory roles when he’s on shift. For those who don’t know, at CCH in Gillette and Wright, a typical EMS pro works 24 hours at a time, and is assigned to a shift—A through D, and there are six people on each shift. These providers work a 24-hour long shift, have 24 hours off, and then work another 24-hour shift. Hopefully, they will then have five consecutive days off—if they don’t pick up any other shifts or work a special event. While they’re working, it’s not unusual for CCH EMS pros to average from seven to 10 calls per day—with an average of 3,500 calls per year in Campbell County, Wyoming.

Burton has earned an Associate of Applied Science in Paramedicine. He is also a National Registered Paramedic, Critical Care Paramedic, and Certified Flight Paramedic. Burton was inspired to work in health care when he took some EMT courses to be a firefighter. “I fell in love with patient care and the opportunity make a difference in a patient’s medical outcome in the pre-hospital setting,” he says. In fact, Burton is interesting in doing more for patients, which is why he’s currently enrolled in Excelsior’s Nursing Program.

Burton was nominated for this post by Dr. Scott Diering, who is board certified in Emergency Medicine and worked at the Campbell County Memorial Hospital Emergency Department. Dr. Diering had this to say about Burton: “Medic Burt Hayden spent hours preparing a detailed analysis of multiple different medications, in the first step to having approval for these drugs to be administered in the field by our EMS team. His detailed documentation has benefited everyone involved in the approval process, as well as his fellow medics, and all the citizens for whom we care. Many thanks, Burt!”

Burton calls Paul Stepanuik, the Henderson Fire Department EMS Chief, his health care hero. “Paul was my Preceptor during my Paramedic program. He challenged me to be not only the best paramedic I could but also make my fellow providers around me better as well and I have strived to do that,” he says. Burton’s favorite quote is by Lou Holtz, and it’s something he uses to ensure he provides great patient care: “ABILITY determines what you are capable of doing. MOTIVATION determines what you do. ATTITUDE determines how well you do it.”

When he’s not a work, Burton says he enjoys doing anything he possibly can with his family. “From watching Emma, my beautiful ballerina dance with my wife (Amanda), to throwing the football with future NFL quarterback, Dylan,” he says.

We asked Burton what he likes most about working at CCH, and what excellence every day means to him. Check out his response:

“I like the professional atmosphere and hunger that many of the employees have to get better every day. It is very easy to come to a job that you love and have the opportunity make a dramatic difference in patient or families life. Because CCH supports individual and departmental growth, the field training program that I initiated that been applied to not only EMS, but the entire hospital.

Excellence every day means representing yourself, your department, and your employer in a positive way each by providing exceptional customer service to a patient or family member of a patient, and ensuring that they know they are receiving the best care possible.”

Burton, thanks for your dedication and hard work to help EMS provide the best possible care to our community. We are proud to have you on our team.

Is there a CCH employee who went the extra mile or shows you extraordinary service? Give them a pat on the back by completing an Excellence Every Day card.