Dawn Penton, United States Army
Patient and Operations Department Services (PODS) Operations Support Team (OST) Supervisor, AMR, Massachusetts
Dawn Penton joined the U.S. military for one reason: she just wanted to serve. “I met with a Navy recruiter because I wanted to be a naval fighter pilot but was told by a recruiter that women could not stay on an aircraft carrier. That was 1992. So, after four years with the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps. (JROTC) in the Navy, I spoke to an Army recruiter," said Penton.
Penton would go on to join the Army as a combat field medic, the equivalent to an intermediate EMT, but in a combat environment. The experience would provide her with knowledge in the area of triage and how to keep calm and focused in challenging situations. Today, Penton says those “challenging situations” were the very learning blocks that prepared her for a career with AMR. “During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and under my current role with AMR, my team was tasked with reviewing every single document that was coming in from sometimes as many as 50 business units,” she says. “I worked from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. some days, just to do it all over again the next day. The military provided me with the mental fortitude to handle this type of scenario, teaching me just how far I can push myself and how to expect the very best from myself.”
Rank Achieved
Specialist (SPC)
Most Interesting Experience While Serving
Being able to serve in an Air Force hospital after the Gulf War and develop my skills in the area of patient care.
Role with AMR
From my start in the Communications Center, to being deployed on the Disaster Response Team and aiding relief efforts to local hurricane victims, I have been honored to serve in many different roles during my time with AMR. I currently provide oversight to our operations services team within multiple regions. I provide timely reviews of patient care documentation. I’m also responsible for analyzing data for any trends that may improve or hinder our processes. I also work closely with operations to ensure we are providing the cleanest documentation to our billing team.
Penton would go on to join the Army as a combat field medic, the equivalent to an intermediate EMT, but in a combat environment. The experience would provide her with knowledge in the area of triage and how to keep calm and focused in challenging situations. Today, Penton says those “challenging situations” were the very learning blocks that prepared her for a career with AMR. “During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and under my current role with AMR, my team was tasked with reviewing every single document that was coming in from sometimes as many as 50 business units,” she says. “I worked from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. some days, just to do it all over again the next day. The military provided me with the mental fortitude to handle this type of scenario, teaching me just how far I can push myself and how to expect the very best from myself.”
Rank Achieved
Specialist (SPC)
Most Interesting Experience While Serving
Being able to serve in an Air Force hospital after the Gulf War and develop my skills in the area of patient care.
Role with AMR
From my start in the Communications Center, to being deployed on the Disaster Response Team and aiding relief efforts to local hurricane victims, I have been honored to serve in many different roles during my time with AMR. I currently provide oversight to our operations services team within multiple regions. I provide timely reviews of patient care documentation. I’m also responsible for analyzing data for any trends that may improve or hinder our processes. I also work closely with operations to ensure we are providing the cleanest documentation to our billing team.
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