Tom Schmiedeknecht Receives Service Member Patriot Award

Congratulations to Tom Schmiedeknecht on being recognized with the Service Member Patriot Award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). ESGR is a Department of Defense office established in 1972 and this award acknowledges continued dedication by a leader to those serving in the National Guard and Reserve Forces.

Tom retired in August 2022 after 42 years with Trinity Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS), formerly Pro-Med. He most recently served as president of the organization.

An employee serving in the National Guard or Reserve, or the spouse of a Guard or Reserve member, may nominate individual supervisors and managers for the support provided directly to the nominating Service member and their family. The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide range of measures, including flexible schedules, time off before and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.

Tom was nominated by his son, Mark Schmiedeknecht, BAS, CCEMT-P, who followed in his dad’s footsteps when choosing a career and is now field supervisor with Trinity Health EMS. Mark joined the National Guard in 2020-21 and saw first-hand how his father and Trinity Health EMS supported those serving in the armed forces.

The award was presented to Tom by Roland Ashby, a member of the Michigan ESGR Committee and John Baxter, Area Chair for ESGR in Michigan, during a ceremony at Trinity Health Muskegon on Thursday, Feb 9.

Honored to receive the award, Tom said it was bigger than just a personal accolade for him. “The importance of us supporting our guard and reserves, I know they are called on to do a lot more,” he said. “A lot of them are deploying out. We need to be there for them so they can hopefully come back to a world that is a little more normal.”

While the ESGR Patriot Award is specifically for an individual, Trinity Health Muskegon also received a Statement of Support certificate for their continued efforts in supporting National Guard and Reserve members who work at Trinity Health.

Tom didn’t realize he was nominated for the award and by his son, no less. “You’ve got to support your employees,” said Tom. “And we have great people (at Trinity Health EMS) who are part of the guard and reserve.”

Tom didn’t push his son Mark, or any of his children, to follow his career path. “Mark was the youngest and he was just bound and determined that was the direction he was going to go. I didn’t have a lot to do with the whole thing other than he was raised around it. But he’s done a spectacular job. He’s a lot smarter than I am,” said Tom.

Book smarts, maybe: Mark is pursuing an online MBA in Healthcare Management at nearby Baker College. But no one has been more dedicated to the guard and reserve than his dad, Tom.