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It started as a normal call for Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service EMT Steven Strom and paramedic Laura Fjelstad. Their job was to transport a Mower County patient who needed medical care to the nearby hospital, but it ended up becoming about much more.

The patient, said Mayo Clinic Ambulance operation supervisor Chris Hammer, was reluctant to go to the hospital because his wife was receiving end-of-life care and was close to passing away. At the same time, the EMS crews knew he needed to go to the hospital.

Fjelstad said she had been on calls with this particular patient before.

“We’re both Norwegian,” she explained. “We’re both stubborn.”

She also said she understood why the patient would want to be with his wife, saying if she were in the same situation with her wife, she would feel the same way.

“We knew the patient needed to go back,” she said.

Strom said he appreciated that Fjelstad made that call because she had more experience in similar types of situations.

It was then that the paramedic and EMT decided they would wait at the hospital while the patient received medical care so they could transport him back to the skilled nursing facility to be with his wife as soon as possible.

While at the hospital, Strom and Fjelstad also made arrangements with nurses so that someone would still be available to take the patient to the nursing facility should they be called out on another job. However, they were both still available when he was discharged.

Because of Fjelstad and Strom’s diligence and compassion, the patient was able to be with his wife during the last hours of her life.

“It’s invaluable time that they can’t get back,” Fjelstad said.

A few days later, the patient came to the ambulance station, requesting to speak with Fjelstad and Strom. He thanked them for what they did for him and also brought the station cookies.

A few weeks later, Hammer nominated the EMS workers for an award, saying Fjelstad and Strom’s work is a prime example of the patient care Mayo brings to the community. They provide a high level of patient care while keeping the human and emotional needs of the patient at the forefront, he said.

“We forget in this job that we’re all human,” Fjelstad said.

She explained the work of an EMT is not all blood and gore, as someone might think.

“It’s holding somebody’s hand during a tough time,” she said.

She hopes knowing how much of a difference a person can make will persuade more people to go into the profession.

“It is a much-needed career that is growing each and every day,” she said.

Both Fjelstad and Strom will receive the Mayo Clinic Excellence in Emergency Medical Services Award. According to Mayo Clinic senior communications specialist Heather Carlson Kehren, the award honors outstanding EMS staff and teams who demonstrate dedication, hard work and the tireless pursuit of exceptional patient care, embodying the very best of Mayo Clinic’s values.

Strom will also be recognized as a Minnesota Star of Life 2025. The Minnesota Stars of Life Award is the state’s highest recognition for EMS professionals, honoring individuals who go above and beyond in delivering life-saving care, mentoring the next generation, and strengthening the EMS system. This year’s honorees represent paramedics, EMTs, dispatchers, and EMS leaders from across the state who have shown extraordinary dedication to patient care, innovation, and service, said Carlson Kehren.

Hammer said Fjelstad would also have received the recognition but was not eligible because she lives in Iowa.

Strom was surprised to be nominated for the award, he said, because he was “just doing his job.”

“I don’t really think it was something unique to me or Laura,” he said, adding any other EMS professional in their situation would probably have done the same thing.

Strom also said the connection made between patients and fellow EMS workers is one of the main reasons he went into the career.

Strom, as well as other recipients of the Minnesota Star of Life 2025, will be celebrated at an award ceremony and program on March 18 in St. Paul.