Rita Diehl, the longtime leader of Creek County (OK) Ambulance, is being remembered as a caring and dedicated emergency medical professional.
Diehl, who died on June 23 at the age of 60, helped work to make medical services better across the state of Oklahoma, according to her obituary, which stated the following:
Diehl graduated from Sapulpa High School in 1979, and attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. After school, she began her career in emergency medicine as an emergency room tech at Bartlett Hospital while completing EMT school. Diehl began her service with Sapulpa Ambulance Service, soon to become Creek County Ambulance in 1982, as an EMT.
She and her friend graduated from Tulsa Paramedic Program, the first program of its kind in Oklahoma, in 1984. Diehl and her friend were the first licensed paramedics in Creek County and were among the first female paramedics in Oklahoma. She was appointed director of Creek County Emergency Ambulance Service District in March of 1990.
Diehl was passionate about her profession and cared deeply for her Creek County Ambulance family. To her employees, she was much more than a boss. She was a friend, mentor, leader, guide and even mother figure. Rita worked diligently to improve the EMS profession, serving as a long-time board member and eventually president of the Oklahoma Ambulance Association.
She also served on Oklahoma Governor Henry’s task force on EMS where she worked to improve legislation and help advance the EMS profession in Oklahoma.