Special to The Leader

Acadian Ambulance Service CEO and founder Richard Zuschlag was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pinnacle conference in San Antonio on Thursday, July 21, marking only the second time that the award has been presented.

“Acadian’s focus on service, growth and innovation have been a result of Richard,” said Jay Fitch, founding partner and president of Fitch & Associates, who presented the award. Praising Zuschlag for his business sense and tenacity, Fitch said, “At his core, Richard is an innovator, and his innovations have shaped our industry.”

Zuschlag, who, with co-founders Richard Sturlese and Roland Dugas, established Acadian in 1971 with two ambulances and eight medics, now oversees a company that spans three states and will transport more than 600,000 patients this year.

Accepting the award, Zuschlag thanked Fitch for inspiring him to become a servant leader.

Attributing Acadian’s success to his team, Zuschlag said, “I would not be where I am today if I had not surrounded myself with such good employees. I believe I have the most loyal employees in America.”

He also credited Acadian’s employee ownership, which began in 1993, for building a culture of excellence. “In the past 25 years, I’ve been so proud to see employees share the ownership of our company,” he said.

The Pinnacle conference is nationally recognized as one of the top events and education opportunities for EMS industry leaders.

Acadian Ambulance is one of the largest ambulance services in the nation, offering emergency and non-emergency transportation to areas in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.