National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week honors the many people who serve as EMS providers. EMS week is nationally recognized May 17-23, 2026. Our EMS team is improving outcomes for our patient families, together. We’d like to thank our transport team for their dedication to responding to crisis and providing immediate care to our patients when they need it most.
In honor of this week, we are highlighting Anna Niemela, emergency medical technician (EMT) working in our emergency department in Minneapolis. Learn more about Anna and her career below.
Get to know Anna
What inspired you to go into pediatrics?
I have always loved working with kids; I have been a nanny on and off for 10 years! I love watching kids learn and seeing the world through their eyes is always precious. We get to make things “fun” for kids which is fun for us too!
What do you want patients, families and staff to know about the work you do?
How rewarding it is. It’s not an easy job but getting to help kids who are sick or hurting and seeing them smile and laugh when they feel better is priceless. The people I work with all truly love helping kids and it shows!
What do you love most about your job?
I love working as a team to help people – the nurses here and fellow EMTs are some of the greatest people I’ve met! They all are kind people and hard workers but know how to have a good laugh as well. It makes coming into work every day something I look forward to. The adorable babies are definitely a highlight as well.
What do you think makes kids remarkable?
The resiliency that I see every day with kids is incredible! I see them go through things that would have most adults in tears and they handle it with a smile on their face. I’ve watched kids get an IV without flinching or have a broken arm splinted while laughing with our child life team. They really are tough kids!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Always be willing to learn, especially from your mistakes. The hospital is a great environment for that, I don’t think a day has gone by that I haven’t learned something new. The staff has been so great about explaining why and how we do things, and I’m so grateful for all of the opportunities this job has provided me! From something as simple as transporting patients to imaging to more complex scenarios such as working in the trauma bay with the rest of the team, I am constantly learning and I love that!
