{"id":3609,"date":"2024-06-28T12:42:28","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T17:42:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluekc.com\/blueprint\/?p=3609"},"modified":"2024-07-01T09:15:41","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T14:15:41","slug":"2024-blue-kc-answering-the-call-honoree-mark-puno-month-of-june","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluekc.com\/blueprint\/community-and-culture\/sports-partnerships-community-and-culture\/2024-blue-kc-answering-the-call-honoree-mark-puno-month-of-june\/","title":{"rendered":"2024 Blue KC Answering the Call Honoree Mark Puno \u2013 month of June"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hero With Many Hats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mark Puno wears a lot of hats, and all of them fall into the same category: hero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puno was in the U.S. Army Reserves in the late 1990s, where he served with a transport unit. His unit was trained to move everything from ammunition to heavy artillery at a moment\u2019s notice. They were trained in extreme conditions, including scorching heat, in case they were deployed to parts of the world where those conditions were common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After getting out of the Reserves, he has spent the last 25 years working for the The University of Kansas Health System as a nurse in the emergency department. Besides his 40-hour per week duties at the hospital, he\u2019s also one of the leads of the medical assistance program at area sporting events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for eight years, he has also served as a \u201cflight nurse,\u201d which meant he flew in a helicopter to sites of crashes and other disasters in eastern Kansas. He finally gave that up recently, but there\u2019s no doubt the term hero could be applied there as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why Puno is the June recipient of the \u201cBlue KC Answering the Call\u201d award, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City benefitting The Battle Within<\/a> on June 28 at The K. The Battle Within is an organization that helps former military personnel and first responders cope with the sometimes-hidden trauma of their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puno has seen both sides, as a veteran and as a first responder, so he appreciates programs like The Battle Within and what they do for heroes who need the help.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI really appreciate this program to help out people who need those services,\u201d he said. \u201cIt breaks my heart when I see people on the streets with a sign that says, \u2018Veteran, please help.\u2019 I wish I could help everybody, or show them resources that are available, because they gave a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am very humbled by the award. I was completely surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He probably shouldn\u2019t be, considering all he\u2019s done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he enlisted in the Reserves, he wanted to go through the Army medic program, but there were no openings. So he joined the transport unit with hopes of transferring later. That never happened, but he did say that he was the \u201cofficial unofficial\u201d medic, which meant he carried the medical bag in his vehicle during training and would help out where needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he got home, he went through the EMT program at Johnson County Community College on the GI Bill. He\u2019s been with The University of Kansas Health System ever since, working in the Emergency Room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the pull of sports added to his duties. When The University of Kansas Health System became the official medical provider of the Kansas City Royals in 2011, he asked to be part of the team. He wasn\u2019t accepted immediately, but he joined the team the following spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s also worked at events at Arrowhead Stadium, the Sprint\/T-Mobile Center and with the Kansas City Current. All this is on top of his 40-hour per week gig at the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s rewarding,\u201d he said. \u201cIt’s a little bit of a break from the regular things that we see in the emergency department at the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the reasons he believes the work is rewarding is he\u2019s working as part of a team, something he learned to appreciate in the Reserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI learned a lot about teamwork and camaraderie,\u201d he said. \u201cI was fortunate that my unit worked well together. We worked well with each other and with the other units, like the Quartermaster unit, which we transported. You have to be able to work together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially if you\u2019re going to be a hero in so many places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information on the Blue KC Answering the Call program, please click here<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Blue KC supports the Kansas City community through impactful sports partnership programs<\/h3>

Blue KC Answering the Call<\/p> <\/div>\n

\n \n For more information on the program<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t
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