Instructional Planning Center Center Room 1

Mary Houska

I began my career as a Paramedic in Pennsylvania. I managed an ambulance service about an hour south of Pittsburgh. I moved to Sioux Falls SD to raise a family in 1992. I continued to volunteer as a Paramedic as I raised my children. I now work full time at the Avera Heart Hospital and as a BLS/ACLS Instructor with Heartstarters. I was born third to the last into a family of 9 children and started babysitting early. I have three children ages 35,25,23 and two grandchildren ages 1 and 6. I teach many life support courses for Community Ed and have combined several classes for the Super-Sitter program. Students from the Supersitter class don't just learn to watch children, they learn to play, feed and care for children. They learn how to identify risks and prevent injury and illness and know what to do in an emergency! I enjoy teaching people of all ages to be prepared to prevent injury and illness and what they can do should if they are on the scene of a victim needing help.