By Heather Johnson-MPCC
Michael Vargas is saving lives one flight at a time.
He’s also living out his dream.
As a flight paramedic for Great Plains Health LifeNet, Vargas’ line of work is fueled by adrenaline and comes with new challenges every day.
“That’s what I love about it,” Vargas said. “My job is all about trying to keep people alive – being there for them on their worst day and trying to make that day a little bit better.”
Vargas always knew he wanted to go into the emergency services, but his initial plan, when he graduated from North Platte High School in 2005, was to become a fire fighter.
“I figured the best way to do that was to go into the Army, but at that time, to be a firefighter you had to be in the Reserves,” Vargas said. “I wanted to be active duty, so I took the medical route instead and fell in love with it.”
Vargas served as a combat medic in the U.S. Army from 2005-06. After sustaining an injury, he received a medical discharge and took a job doing ground transport for the Midwest Medical Transport Company.
His experience in the military prompted him to continue on in the medical field and pursue civilian paramedic school using the GI Bill.
“I chose Mid-Plains Community College for that because I could take the classes in North Platte, where I had moved back to so that I could be closer to family,” said Vargas. “I loved MPCC. The teachers were great. The instruction was great. The course I chose was very hands-on and very intense. You had to know what you had to know to save a life.”
While in school, Vargas also worked as an emergency room technician at Great Plains Health. He officially became a paramedic in the spring of 2010.
“I moved to Atlantic, Iowa for three and a half years to get some 911 medic experience,” Vargas said. “After that, I applied to start flying with Midwest MedAir, back in North Platte in July of 2013. When LifeNet took over, I started flying for them. That was in November of 2014.”
He had to have three to five years of critical care experience, pass an entry exam and take a certification test to become a flight paramedic. Reaching that level was a tremendous honor.
“The flight paramedic certification is the highest achievable certification for a paramedic,” said Vargas. “I was working as a tech in the ER when I decided I wanted to go for that. I told everyone at the time that I would be back, and I was.”
He soon found that working in an air ambulance was unlike anything he had ever experienced on the ground.
“There’s a lot more at stake,” Vargas said. “We care for the sickest of the sick patients. Basically, we take them from a hospital where an entire staff can’t care for them, put them in a small vehicle where it’s just me and my partner and have to safely deliver them to a facility that can care for them.”
Most of the transports are time sensitive. He sees everything – from strokes to heart attacks to trauma victims.
“It’s an investment, and it’s not for everyone, especially the weak of heart,” Vargas said. “Your heart has to be fully in it because once you commit, it’s all or nothing. For me, it’s been very, very rewarding.”
More information about MPCC, its EMT- Paramedic program and its Accelerated Paramedic program can be found online at mpcc.edu.