Empathetic EMT

Biology major Trevor Cohenour ’22 is no stranger to emergencies. As an EMT at WellSpan York Hospital, he’s experienced firsthand the symptoms and uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 virus.  

After being tested, he waited a week to see if he’d tested positive. Cohenour, who resides with his parents, worried over exposing them. He isolated himself to one room of his home as his mother is considered a high-risk patient due to her lupus. “The stress made it really challenging,” he says. “What if my exposure made my mom sick?” 

Cohenour’s test results came back negative, but he used his experience to return to work and make a difference. Normally he works in the Emergency Room, but since WellSpan set up testing sites outside the ER, he has been reassigned to collect samples from suspected coronavirus patients.  

Though the ER has slowed down, Cohenour is busier than ever on the frontline testing and treating patients. What helps him get through is the camaraderie among his colleagues. He laughs and says he’s teased for telling too many “dad jokes.” “I know it’s important to keep our spirits up, even though things can be pretty serious,” he says. “We’re all working through this together.”