LUSK – Every year, Lusk Elks Lodge No. 1797 honors a member or group of the Niobrara community. This year, an individual who has lived here for over three decades and served the community in some way for most of that time was recognized for her contributions.

Monica Wilcox has worked tirelessly within the health care community both as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and in the clinic as a medical assistant (MA).

She works to keep her ambulance team motivated and insures they have access to professional training and skills development opportunities. She has been a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instructor for the hospital and community. She also works on grants for the ambulance service to provide them with state-of-the-art equipment and tools to effectively perform their jobs. 

Wilcox has worked on the ambulance service off and on for most of her adult life. She has also worked in the Rawhide Rural Health Clinic as an MA and in the hospital as an emergency department (ED) technician. She has helped develop extensive quality control systems at the hospital as well as learning coding and billing to assist the clinic, hospital and ambulance system with more effective billing.

Wilcox rarely draws attention to herself and is mostly known for her sense of humor and humble demeanor. She is quick to encourage members of her team and always the first to jump in when help is needed. 

While the Elks acknowledged the work and effort of the entire ambulance service Wilcox deserved a special thanks for her hard work and positive attitude.