Chris Hockenberry, EMS Supervisor and Paramedic, makes a difference in the lives of his colleagues and patients each day. He is reliable and always takes it upon himself to perform important duties without being asked.

Chris exemplifies all of Mount Nittany Health’s values of caring, excellence, integrity, respect, teamwork, and stewardship. For the Employee of the Month honor, he is being recognized for epitomizing the core values of teamwork and stewardship; always doing what is in the best interest of the organization.

He was nominated by multiple colleagues throughout the health system. His nominators said, “Chris has picked up a lot of responsibility within our department and helped keep the staff’s spirits uplifted. He has guided us and has taken over many of the day-to-day tasks to keep the department running after the passing of Rich Kelley. When it was discovered that not just one, but two of the vehicles that respond to 911 calls would not pass inspection, Chris worked tirelessly, with the help of Charlene Diehl, to find and purchase a replacement. A second is also in the works. Replacing an EMS vehicle is much more than just finding and purchasing a vehicle. The vehicle must have a complete makeover – it requires painting, lettering, and a complete conversion to accommodate all the supplies needed to respond to 911 calls. This process typically takes close to a year and Chris accomplished this task in less than one month!

Chris currently lives in Lemont and has served the community as part of Mount Nittany Health’s team for 13 years. During this time, he was an EMT, a paramedic, and most recently he was promoted to EMS Supervisor. He graduated from Penns Valley Area High School and the Conemaugh School of EMS.

Chris was shocked and humbled to be named Employee of the Month. “What we accomplished in the months since Rich Kelley’s passing has been the result of teamwork within the health system. I enjoy working with my colleagues because we all help each other and our common goal is to always put our patients’ needs first.”

He noted that it was always his dream to serve the community as a paramedic. “Since serving in the fire department at a young age, I have always known that I wanted to be part of emergency services,” said Chris. “I love my job because I can provide lifesaving care to our patients, making a difference in the short period of time we spend with them.”

When Chris isn’t busy providing exceptional care to the community, he enjoys visiting firehouses and seeing different trucks and equipment when he is somewhere new. He also enjoys spending time with his friends and family, and watching Penn State sports. He is grateful for the support of his wonderful wife Marla; his daughters Marissa and Maren; his son Jacob; and his cats Sophie and Millie.

We are grateful to have Chris as part of our organization and applaud him for demonstrating our core values each day. Please join us in congratulating him on this incredible honor. Chris, thank you for all you do for our patients, and for contributing to our mission of “Healthier people, stronger community.”