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Our podcast, AMPED (Air Methods Prehospital Education) has returned with another episode this month! The podcast, which launched earlier this year, is designed for prehospital and in-hospital care providers and sheds light on the unique and challenging clinical scenarios faced by our emergency medical crews. It is a first-of-its-kind platform in which air medical and in-hospital clinicians share their stories from the frontlines and learn from one-another’s unique experiences in providing lifesaving care.
In our previous episode, the team discussed ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). As ECMO has shifted from tertiary care centers to rural facilities, the transport of these patients has increased. Like any medical procedure, there are inherent risks with the transport of these patients.
This month, the team is joined by Chase Niewoehner, flight nurse and ECMO specialist, and Dr. Christina Creel-Bulos, medical director at Emory University Hospital, to dive into another ECMO case that will give your critical thinking skills a run for their money!
Get your thinking caps on because they will be dealing with all types of shock and lifesaving devices that depend on your fundamental knowledge of physiology and anatomy to save a life.
The podcast is hosted by Joe Hill, Hawnwan “Phil” Moy, and John Wilmas, MD, who collectively, bring decades of experience in emergency medical services and an array of diverse perspectives to the table.
AMPED is available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more. To listen to the podcast and to see available streaming options, visit https://ampedpodcast.libsyn.com/. To join the conversation, use the hashtag #AMPEDpod on social media.
(GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colorado, October 23, 2019) – Air Methods, the leading air medical service provider, announced today that its ARCH Air Medical base in Granite City, along with many other ARCH and Air Methods helicopter programs, now carry blood and plasma on every mission. Celebrating 40 years as the St. Louis region’s original air medical service, this new capability continues ARCH’s decades of focus on excellence in patient care, seen in deployment of these lifesaving products.
Air Methods has continuously strived to increase the quantity of aircraft nationwide that carry blood or plasma onboard given advantages for patients affected by traumatic injuries or other conditions that require transfusions
Carrying blood and plasma during air medical missions can be a significant contributing factor in optimal patient outcomes. For instance, patients suffering significant blood loss are at risk for hemorrhagic shock which causes the body’s organs to fail and can lead to death.
According to a New England Journal of Medicine study, the administration of thawed plasma during prehospital air medical transport to patients at risk for hemorrhagic shock was deemed safe by medical researchers and resulted in lower 30-day mortality and faster blood clotting than standard-care resuscitation.
“Flying with blood and plasma onboard our aircraft is the equivalent of carrying a better chance of survival,” said Paul M. Ross, Jr., ARCH Air Medical regional account executive. “The ability to provide patients with potentially better outcomes is another great milestone for our team, particularly for individuals in rural areas facing long ground transport following a traumatic situation. Administration of blood combined with rapid air transport can truly help these patients who otherwise may not survive.”
Leading in Emergency Medical Care and SafetyAdding blood and plasma to ARCH helicopters and the rest of the Air Methods’ non-hospital fleet is only one of several ways the air medical provider continues to enhance safety and empower improved patient outcomes. For example, Air Methods’ patient-centered culture is represented by our dedication to technical standards and training, which leads the air medical industry. Air Methods’ registered nurses or paramedic-level trained clinicians are required to have practiced at least three years in an emergency care or intensive care setting. Clinicians must additionally obtain 100 hours of continuing education every year following Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) standards. Also, every Air Methods mission is reviewed, in part, to identify training or education opportunities. Approximately 30 cases each month undergo an in-depth quality review by clinical quality, education, compliance and risk teams to assure patient safety and best practices for continued success.
Air Methods is investing $100 million over 10 years to ensure that the company’s 1,300 pilots are prepared for the most challenging safety scenarios. Pilots fly the world’s largest civilian fleet of helicopters, which are custom designed and supplied to include clot-busting medications for stroke, monitoring devices, intra-aortic balloon pump in addition to the drug lines, transfer vents and other equipment to ensure a safe and effective transfer to hospital. Helicopters are also fully-equipped with safety features such as night vision goggles (NVGs), XM satellite weather and tracking systems, GPS and helicopter terrain awareness and warning systems.
With blood and plasma on every needed mission, ARCH 1 and the rest of the Air Methods’ aircraft are truly serving as intensive care units in the sky.
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About Air MethodsAir Methods is the leading air medical service, delivering lifesaving care to more than 70,000 people every year. With nearly 40 years of air medical experience, Air Methods is the preferred partner for hospitals and one of the largest community-based providers of air medical services. United Rotorcraft is the Company’s products division specializing in the design and manufacture of aeromedical and aerospace technology. Air Methods’ fleet of owned, leased or maintained aircraft features more than 450 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
Media Contact:Megan SmithAmendola Communications, for Air Methods(404) 408-3379*protected email*
(GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colorado, September 5, 2019) – Fifty Air Methods crew members will join dozens of other first responders on the State Farm Stadium field on September 8 to bear a football-field-length American flag during the National Anthem before the National Football League’s (NFL’s) Arizona Cardinals home-opening game against the Detroit Lions.
The Air Methods crew members receiving the honor are based throughout Arizona and will represent the LifeNet, Native Air, and TiState CareFlight programs. The flag is 300-feet long and 150-feet wide and weighs approximately 1,100 pounds, requiring more than 150 volunteers to unfurl and hold it during the anthem. Flag-bearing duties are a special recognition from the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL for the service and bravery demonstrated by first responders in the state and around the country.
“Our crews are so excited and honored to be on the field before the Cardinals home opener and take part in this patriotic and meaningful ceremony,” said Nicola Crim, Air Methods account executive. “Air Methods’ crew members and other first responders play a special role in their communities, so we are very grateful to the Cardinals and the NFL for asking all of us to participate in this memorable event.”
Air Methods crew members, along with all air medical services, provide essential and often emergent care throughout the country. During missions, highly trained medical teams care for patients with lifesaving interventions, from providing trauma care after an accident to administering clot-busting medications that must be given shortly after a major stroke to significantly improve outcomes.
The need for air medical is more critical than ever. Today, more than 85 million American live more than an hour drive from Level I or II trauma centers, which creates an increasing demand for air medical services to ensure that patients have access to necessary care centers. With the continued consolidation of hospitals and the trend towards centers with specialized heart or neurological care, the clinical support and speed of Air Methods’ missions are vital to giving patients the best possible outcomes, no matter where they live or travel.
“The pride our crews will feel carrying the flag before the game is the same as the pride they feel serving and caring for the patients and residents on missions and year-round,” Crim said. “We are so happy to be able to share this moment with our Arizona first-responder colleagues and tens of thousands of football fans.”
Media Contacts:Megan SmithAmendola Communications for Air Methods(404) 408-3379*protected email*