Piedmont Walton presents Dustin Cain with First Friday Hero Award for August 2024

Loganville Fire Department’s Dustin Cain named August 2024 First Friday Hero. Contributed photo

Monroe, Ga. (August 2, 2024)— Piedmont Walton Hospital has named Loganville Fire’s Dustin Cain the First Friday Hero for the month of August.

Cain was recognized by Paramedic Marcus Crow for going “above and beyond” while on a recent call.

Loganville Fire was dispatched to a residence for a near-syncopal episode, which is the feeling of almost fainting without losing consciousness. The patient was outside painting a fence when she got overheated and nearly fainted. Once EMS arrived and gave her water, she began feeling better and refused to be transported to the hospital. While she was being treated, Dustin took it upon himself to paint her fence for her.

Cain was recognized during a ceremony with his leaders, coworkers, and Piedmont Walton staff to recognize his selfless service to the patient.

Piedmont Walton launched the First Friday Hero program in February to recognize first responders who exceed the call of duty. Dustin Cain is the third person to receive the award.

“The first responders in Walton County are all truly heroes,” said Piedmont Walton CEO Blake Watts. “Their line of work is often dangerous and often thankless, and we want to make the community aware of all they do to make our communities a better and safer place.”

If you would like to nominate a Walton County first responder for the Piedmont Walton First Friday Hero award, please submit your nomination to firstfridayherowalton@piedmont.org. Nominations should include your name and contact information along with the nominee’s name, which agency they work for and contact information for that agency, and a brief summary of why he or she should be considered a First Friday Hero.

About Piedmont: Piedmont is empowering Georgians by changing health care. We continue to fuel Georgia’s growth through safe, high-quality care close to home through an integrated health care system that provides a hassle-free, unified experience. We are a private, not-for-profit organization with more than 12,000 donors annually that for centuries has sought to make a positive difference in every life we touch in the communities we serve. Across our 1,755 physical locations we care for more than 4 million patients and serve communities that comprise 85 percent of Georgia’s population. This includes 25 hospitals, 73 Piedmont Urgent Care centers, 25 QuickCare locations, 1,875 Piedmont Clinic physician practices and nearly 3,200 Piedmont Clinic members. Our patients conveniently engage with Piedmont online, as they scheduled more than 612,000 online appointments and over 163,000 virtual visits. With more than 47,000 care givers we are the largest Georgia-based private employer of Georgians, who all came for the job, but stayed for the people. In 2024 and 2023, Piedmont has earned recognition from Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and also as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women. In 2022, Forbes ranked Piedmont on its list of the Best Large Employers in the United States. In addition, Piedmont provided nearly $390 million in community benefit programming and uncompensated care in Fiscal Year 2023.