Dr. Heidi Lako-Adamson

Dr. Heidi Lako-Adamson, age 45, of Fargo, ND, died Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at Sanford Health, Fargo.

Heidi Lako was born November 28, 1975, at Fargo, ND, the daughter of Wayne and Viola (Brasel) Lako.  She grew up on a farm near Arthur, ND, and graduated from Dakota High School, Arthur.  Heidi received a bachelor’s degree in Zoology from NDSU, Fargo.   She fell in love with EMS at an early age and began as an EMT with F-M Ambulance of Fargo in 1997.   She then attended Paramedic School and became a Paramedic with F-M Ambulance.

On June 26, 1999, Heidi was united in marriage to Mark Adamson at Arthur, ND.  She was accepted to UND School of Medicine in 2000, and in 2004 began her residency as Dr. Heidi Lako-Adamson at Regions Hospital in Minneapolis.  Dr. Lako worked as an Emergency Room Physician with MeritCare in Fargo 2007 – 2011.  In 2009, she became Medical Director of F-M Ambulance.  In 2017, she received her Board Certification in Emergency Medicine. 

Dr. Lako-Adamson was the medical director for many ambulance squads, including F-M Ambulance, Harwood Rescue, Horace Rescue and Mapleton Rescue as well as the Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo fire departments and numerous rescue squads in Clay County, Minnesota. She also provided medical direction for Red River Regional Dispatch Center and their Emergency Medical Dispatch program. She was extremely involved with her rescue squads and took an active role in the development of new protocols for her squads.  Dr. Lako worked hard to make sure that her squads were always up to date on the most cutting-edge technology in emergency medicine and was a big advocate for F-M Ambulance and rural EMS in North Dakota.   She was active in the classroom teaching her squads and was also passionate about staying involved in the training of new paramedic students.

Dr. Lako had many other duties at Sanford Health and in the community; she also served as the health officer for Cass County Public Health and Clay County Public Health.   Always proud of her EMS roots,  she just renewed her National Registry Paramedic for the 11th time, signifying over 20 years in EMS.  She served as volunteer physician for the NDSU Women’s Soccer and Volleyball programs and was Medical Director for the Fargo Marathon.

She was also a product of her farm roots – she loved to garden, raise flowers, can her garden produce and cook.  Her animals were family (along with Mark!) and they always had cats and dogs.  She was passionate about decorating for the holidays and had 16 Christmas trees to put up each year.  In addition to enjoying reading, her family remembers that she always loved to add to her extensive shoe collection!

In addition to the many friends and colleagues in EMS and the Emergency Medicine field, Dr. Lako will be mourned by her husband Mark; her mother Viola Lako, Arthur;  her brother Jason (Deborah) Lako, Fargo; her sister Angela (Rob) Quinn, Rochester, MN; brother & sister-in law, Darwin (Stacy) Adamson, Harrisburg, SD; and six nieces and nephews, Kenzie Lako, Wyatt Lako, Robbie Quinn, Nathan Adamson, Christa Erickson, and Dustin Adamson.

She was preceded in death by her father Wayne Lako.

Gifts in memory of Dr. Heidi Lako-Adamson will be used to benefit her passion of rural EMS.  Memorials can be made to F-M Ambulance through the Sanford Health Foundation. Please mention F-M Ambulance when submitting your gift to ensure it goes to her memorial.  Online donation website:   www.sanfordhealthfoundation.org/fargo/ 

Visitation:  5pm – 7pm Friday, April 2nd at West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center, West Fargo.

Funeral Service:   10am Saturday, April 3, 2021 at Hope Lutheran Church – South Campus, Fargo.   Any EMS personnel are encouraged to wear their uniform to her service.

Burial:  Arthur (ND) Cemetery

West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center

westfuneralhome.com

The funeral service will be livestreamed by Hope Lutheran Church. 

https://boxcast.tv/view/dr-heidi-lako-adamsons-funeral-w5jxodwl1116zw5min4r

The funeral was also recorded by West Funeral Home and that version of her service is now posted on this web page

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dr. Heidi Lako-Adamson, please visit our floral store.