PEORIA (25News Now) – A Peoria paramedic is receiving one of the highest honors in emergency medical services, but she won’t be in Washington, D.C., to accept it.
Nicole Hughes, a Quality and Compliance Manager, Critical Care Paramedic and Pre-Hospital Registered Nurse with Advanced Medical Transport (AMT), has been named a 2026 Star of Life by the American Ambulance Association. The award recognizes EMS professionals who go above and beyond in caring for their communities.
Instead of attending the national awards ceremony on Nov. 17, Hughes will be doing what earned her the recognition, which is caring for veterans on a Greater Peoria Honor Flight.
“When I learned about the nomination and they told me the ceremony was going to be on November 17, the first thing I said was, ‘Well, I’m not going to be able to go because I’m going to be on the Honor Flight that day,’” Hughes said.
While Hughes calls the award a tremendous honor, she says serving veterans comes first.
“To me, it’s more important to be there serving those who’ve served us rather than being recognized for something that I’m doing alongside a team,” Hughes said. “There’s no better way to be recognized than to be allowed to go on the trip and be with the people that I care about the most.”
An Army veteran herself, Hughes helps coordinate medical staffing and emergency equipment for each Greater Peoria Honor Flight, ensuring veterans have medical support throughout the trip.
She says the work is personal.
“I see my grandpa in every single person that goes on that trip,” Hughes said. “That’s why I care so much because I just put my grandpa’s face on them.”
Hughes says some of the most meaningful moments come while caring for Vietnam veterans, many of whom continue to carry emotional wounds decades after returning home.
AMT says Hughes was recognized nationally for her leadership and dedication to supporting Greater Peoria Honor Flight and the veterans it serves.
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