Wareham EMS counted among honorees by Southcoast Health

May 22, 2022

Wareham’s EMS department is one of 36 recipients of Southcoast Health’s annual Hero for Health Awards, the not-for-profit health system announced on Friday.

Southcoast Health named three dozen municipal departments that provide emergency services across southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and Rhode Island with the award. The award goes to “outstanding leaders who, through their work, advocate for optimal health and wellness in the region,” a press release states.

“Southcoast Health has played an indispensable role in improving the health and safety of the people of our area,” said Acushnet Fire & EMS Chief Kevin Gallagher, who announced during a National EMS Week ceremony his upcoming retirement after 34 years of service. “From Charlton Memorial’s Heart and Vascular Center to the new Level II Trauma Center at St. Luke’s and the Tobey Emergency Center opening in Wareham on May 25, our neighbors’ lives have been saved and will continue to be saved by this organization. I’ve seen it firsthand, many times over.”

Last year’s Hero for Health award went to Marylou Sudders, the state’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.