Page 110 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2026

Lauren Irey
story by Cherie Ward
photos courtesy of Bailey Heuser, Lauren Irey, and Heather Lemoine
Bailey Heuser
110 | September 2026 When emergencies happen, the first
life-saving decisions are often made
long before a patient reaches a hospital.
Across South Mississippi, women are serving as paramedics,
flight nurses, and behavioral health professionals, providing
advanced medical care while guiding patients and families
through some of life’s most difficult moments.
For paramedic Heather Lemoine, educating the public often
starts with explaining the difference between an EMT and a
paramedic.
“A lot of people don’t know,” Lemoine said. “Before I got into
EMS, I didn’t know either.”
While EMTs provide basic emergency care, paramedics receive
advanced training that allows them to administer a wider range
of medications, interpret EKGs, manage airways, perform
advanced cardiac care, and deliver critical treatments from the
ambulance before patients ever reach an emergency room.
Lemoine said the profession has greatly evolved. “About 20
years ago, it probably would have been different,” she said. “It
used to be a boys’ club back in the day.”
Instead, she entered the field surrounded by female instructors,
supervisors, and fellow providers. “Honestly, our gender has
nothing to do with the job,” she said. “Women are just as
capable,”
Lauren Irey’s path into emergency medicine also began in
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