(South Padre Island) The Texas Ambulance Association is pleased to announce that Ms. Rose Marie Solalinde has been selected as the 2004 Joe B. Brown Memorial Humaniterian Award Winner.

Ms. Solalinde started her career in 1986 as a data entry clerk working with Medicare, Medicaid and other insurances for a private ambulance service in San Antonio, Texas.

In 1989, Ms. Solalinde completed the EMT-Basic course and took her knowledge and compassion for the industry into the field touching the lives of every patient and co-worker she met.

Ms. Solalinde began working for a “very new” METRO Ambulance in 1994 single handedly managing the Billing Office for the first year. As the workload increased, she trained others to handle patient inquires and insurance as no one else could.

In 1998, Rose assisted in the emergency evacuation of many patients during tremendous flooding volunteering countless hours after safely situating her own children.

Ms. Solalinde once again responded to the needs of others during the 2003 evacuation of a nursing facility after it had been struck by lightening. Rose assisted in the relocation of 80 patients and again as a voluntary act of kindness.

Over the years, Rose contributed to and attended many workshops, in-services and Texas Ambulance Association Seminars. Rose dedicated 19 years of her life to the ambulance industry and did so with honesty, integrity, and an overwhelming compassion and love. She has assisted thousands of patients and Medics on “clean claim” submissions and proper documentation.

Prior to her very untimely death, Rose celebrated 10 years of dedicated service with METRO Ambulance. She had touched our lives in many ways and we will truly miss her beautiful smile.

Ms. Solalinde's award was accepted by her family during the annual President's dinner.

Named in honor of the TAA' s first President and long time ambulance provider and advocate, the goal of the award is to recognize ambulance providers that go “above and beyond the call of duty”. 

Any ambulance provider that operates in Texas is eligible to be nominated  and anyone can nominate a provider. A TAA  award committee reviews the nominations with the presentation of the award made during the annual conference in South Padre Island.

In selecting whom the award committee will recommend for the award,  the committee uses the below criteria:

The nominee should be able to demonstrate their:

  compassion towards patients, families, and employees
  willingness to do things that will not show them any return
   "Above & Beyond the Call of Duty" mentality
  willingness to cooperate with other providers for the good of patients
  willingness to improve the overall image of the industry

In addition, to the above, nominees are rated on their overall attitude, compassion and humanitarian characteristics and traits of goodwill.

By Joe Huffman

(originally printed in August 2000)    Mr. Joe B. Brown died last month while conducting a funeral service in Waco, Texas.  We at the Texas Ambulance Association mourn the passing of this man who held such an important part in the development of our association.  The Texas Ambulance Association’s annual award for service owners or providers that go “beyond the call of duty” is aptly named the Joe B. Brown Humanitarian award.  Joe’s passing gave me an opportunity to reflect on his life of service.

I had the opportunity to interview Joe Brown when the Texas Ambulance Association asked his permission to use his name on our service award.  I remember Joe was honored and humbled at the possibility of our using his name on this prestigious award.  During the interview we had a chance to talk about Joe and his contributions to our industry.

In the early 70’s Joe Brown worked for Ray Crowder Funeral Home which had the  ambulance contract for the City of Fort Worth.  Joe was responsible for many of the improvements that the system saw during that time period.  Joe was instrumental in Ray Crowder’s use of Type 1 ambulances as paramedics became a reality for professional EMS in the city.  Later Joe started his own funeral home and ambulance service called Meissner- Brown, which quickly grew to provide ambulance service in several suburban areas around Fort Worth.  Joe would eventually sell his ambulance company in 1988 as the Public Utility Model system took hold in the Fort Worth area.

Early in the 1980’s during a Las Vegas American Ambulance Association meeting Joe was impressed with a Medicare consultant that was speaking there.  He approached the speaker and asked what it would cost to have the consultant ask for an increase from the Texas carrier.  The fee was $600 and Joe approached other providers in Texas to chip in $125 each to begin the process.  Those early discussions among Texas providers became the foundation of the Texas Ambulance Association we know today.

Joe B. Brown served on the board of the TAA and was also a  member of the American Ambulance Association’s Board of Directors.  He was a member and President of the Texas Funeral Home Association and a member of the National Funeral Association.

Although, I was saddened to hear of Joe B. Brown’s passing I was not surprised to learn it occurred while he was in the service of others in need as he always seemed to be.

The Texas Ambulance Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to posthumously award the 2000  Joe B. Brown Humanity Award, to Joe B. Brown himself.

2003
Ms. Belinda Richter
Fayette County EMS
La Grange