When it comes to facing life-and-death situations, Lieutenant Johnny Wilson, security supervisor at Eskenazi Health, knows what counts most: preparation. That way in a crisis, he says, “your training just kicks in.”
He should know. Wilson is the most awarded security officer at Eskenazi Health, documented for saving eight lives.
Wilson’s manager, Darin Lucas, chief of security and emergency preparedness, explains that medical staff must confirm that an officer’s intervention contributed to a patient’s survival for a lifesaving recognition to be granted. Wilson guesses he’s experienced “just about one of everything” at Eskenazi Health. He describes the alternating lulls and crises at his work as a “rollercoaster,” adding, “There’s no telling what’s going to happen every day.”
The eight saves for which Wilson has been honored include addressing overdoses, blood loss and heart attacks. He vividly recalls each, such as aiding a nurse with a coding patient, when he took over CPR so that she could put the message out. Memories of these saves are “very special,” he says, “because you’re part of such a big thing.”
One of his saves was in response to a vehicle fire. His team, which he co-led with Lieutenant Rheid Herrington, security supervisor, was honored for leadership and bravery during the incident, with the commendation stating that Wilson “did not once turn away from the flames” as he “began to extinguish at the lowest part of the fire.”
Wilson was also one of three security officers who received a letter of commendation in 2024 for conduct and dedication, his ninth such honor. He was nominated for a Meritorious Service Award as well, an annual recognition for an officer representing Eskenazi Health PRIDE values, chosen by staff outside of the security department. His team was nominated for the organization’s Top ACTS of PRIDE award this June, Wilson’s second nomination in just seven years. Lucas describes his employee, who was promoted to lieutenant on a new team this fall, as “extraordinary.”
The Army National Guard, where Wilson spent six years on active and two on inactive duty, trained him in the skills he would need to save lives at Eskenazi Health. Wilson, however, credits an earlier influence for the value he places on being prepared for whatever comes: his Grandma Katie, who helped raise him, a woman he describes as “the best person ever.” She wanted him to be ready for any situation he encountered, so she taught him to cook, clean and sew early in his childhood.
Wilson notices his grandmother’s imprint on his hobbies as well as his character. So does his wife, who jokes that he was born in the “wrong era” when he takes his sons to cruise nights to spot 1956 and 1957 Bel Airs and classic Chevelles. Both sons are now such car lovers that Wilson guesses his eight-year-old has 5,000 Hot Wheels.
Other favorite hobbies include fishing, camping and eating in 1950s- and 1960s-style diners, which remind Wilson of hours spent at Peppy Grill in Fountain Square, where his grandmother worked and which his Aunt Angie managed for decades. “I grew up there,” he says, “I’d go there all the time and hang out with my aunt and grandma. I would just sit and people watch.”
The observation skills and empathy he developed in his early years have been crucial to Wilson’s work at Eskenazi Health. He describes the company of his grandmother and aunt as a retreat from other family members, who were struggling with substance use disorders. He’s watchful for signs others may be dealing with difficulties in their personal lives. A chaplain wrote to Lucas one day, praising Wilson for comforting a clinical staff member distraught about his wife’s medical emergency. “I always resort back to my childhood and how you never know what someone is going through,” Wilson says. “You just want to be there. Just saying ‘hi’ to someone might save their life . . . . ”
His promotion this fall meant Wilson had to leave a team he “absolutely loved,” but he’s pleased to be managing again, something he did before his time at Eskenazi Health. Wilson will ensure the high caliber of training he’s received continues under his watch. “You’re just as good,” says Wilson, “as the newest guy.”
He’ll also draw inspiration from the leadership at Eskenazi Health, both the security department and upper management, by showing how much he values his eight reports’ hard work. His own award wins, says Wilson, were “shocking just because it showed that the corporation and the department cared. Things don’t go unnoticed.”