MedFlight



Kettering Health Network and MedFlight Community FAQ SheetNOTE: THIS DOCUMENT FOR INTERNAL MEDFLIGHT PARTNERS ONLYWhy is Kettering Partnering with MedFlight Helicopter services?Kettering Health Network continues to position itself as a high quality medical care and services provider, which now includes excellent patient ground and air transport services. ?As we evaluated who we should align with to be our provider of high performance ground and air services, we selected Buckeye Ambulance (Kettering Mobile Care) and MedFlight. MedFlight is the premier non-profit critical care ground and air provider in Ohio. With our recent addition of Kettering Mobile Care, we have recently enhanced our partnership with MedFlight by placing a helicopter base in early 2017 at the Preble County Emergency Center. What is MedFlight?MedFlight is a non-profit air and ground critical care transportation company based in Columbus, Ohio that completes thousands of critical care transports by helicopter and Mobile Intensive Care ground units each year. MedFlight is made possible by its consortium health systems of OhioHealth and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. MedFlight also has a partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, and many other medical facilities in the State. MedFlight is one of the country’s most exemplary and cutting-edge critical care transportation companies including 24-hour, 7 day a week medical helicopters, ground based mobile ICU’s, and a cutting edge communication center. Is MedFlight a New Service?MedFlight has a strong history serving patients for over two decades. MedFlight was formed in 1995 when Grant Life Flight (OhioHealth) and SkyMed (The Ohio State University Medical Center) combined service’s to form MedFlight. What is their level of quality, safety and service?MedFlight received the nation’s top award through the Association of Air Medical Services as Program of the Year in 2014 and Safety Program of the Year in 2012. MedFlight has never had an accident resulting in the loss of life. MedFlight offers the highest level of quality and experience regarding critical care medicine. Furthermore, MedFlight continues to be a leader in the field of medical transportation solutions. Are they a non-profit service focused on patients like Kettering Health Network?Yes, MedFlight is a non-profit services with multi-hospital oversight, where all of the resources from operating the service goes back into the business to achieve the highest level of care available for patients and providers in need. Kettering Health Network and community leaders will have local input and impact on services. Why is MedFlight’s service better for Kettering than what has been offered by other services?Placing a helicopter at Preble County Emergency Center will allow for quicker patient transports and access to the Kettering Health System and the greater Dayton region. With MedFlight’s existing resources MedFlight 2 (Marysville) and MedFlight 9 (Jeffersonville), the MedFlight 8 (Preble) helicopter will be closest to a majority of the Kettering Health Systems referring hospitals and will be the closest helicopter for emergency responses in Preble County and many surrounding counties in both Ohio and Indiana. When will the helicopter services be in place for the Kettering Health Network and the community?The Kettering Health Network already has two established MedFlight helicopters that provide services for Kettering, MedFlight 2 (Union County) and MedFlight 9 (Fayette County). MedFlight 8 (Preble County) is scheduled to begin services in the early 2017.Where will MedFlight be located?Kettering Health Network plans to construct a new base, which will include a hangar and crew living quarters at the Preble County Medical Center in Eaton, Ohio. Will MedFlight be offering membership services to reduce patient and family expense if medical transport is needed? MedFlight offers one of the most complete A-Z memberships in the country. The MedFlight Advantage membership offers both air and ground transport as part of the membership. More information regarding MedFlight Advantage membership can be found at .Do you Carry Blood?MedFlight helicopters do not respond to emergencies carrying blood, however if a patient is needing a blood transfusion and is at a hospital, the MedFlight crew can request blood from the sending hospital to be used during the transport. For responses to emergencies outside the hospital, MedFlight carries Tranexamic acid (TXA), a medication used to treat or prevent excessive blood loss form trauma, surgery, or various medical conditions resulting in excessive bleeding. Does MedFlight only take patients to Kettering Health Network Hospitals?Although MedFlight is owned by a shared consortium of hospitals, they transport patients to the most appropriate trauma facility. For other patients, the referring and receiving physician decide upon the most appropriate destination and mode of transport. How do you contact or request MedFlight?MedFlight helicopters can be dispatched in a number of ways. MedFlight’s Communication Center (MED COMM) located in Columbus, Ohio can be reached at 1-800-222-LIFE (5433). Helicopters can also be dispatched using the Metro Alert Application, if installed and approved, by using a smart phone or a desktop version installed in dispatch center or hospitals. For patients being transferred into the Kettering Health Network System, the Kettering Transfer Center will arrange MedFlight during the acceptance process to expedite the transport process and decrease the work of the requesting agency. The Kettering Health Network Transfer Center phone number is 937-762-1900.How many patients can you transport?MedFlight helicopters fly one patient. MedFlight’s Medical Direction believes that due to the critical nature of the injury or medical issue, both clinical members full attention should be placed on the patient. Due to multiple helicopters in their fleet, additional helicopters can be quickly dispatched to support any incident or multi-patient need for transport. MedFlight will also contact other services to request assistance. Can you fly pediatric patients?MedFlight transports pediatric patients. However, it is preferred that critically ill or injured patients 28 days old or less or weighing less than 5 kg be transported in an Isolette with the assistance of a Neonatal Transport Team, unless transported from the scene of a trauma or specific permission is granted by the pediatric MCP (Medical Control Physician).When an Estimated time of arrival (ETA) is given, does it include the time to get the helicopter airborne, or is it just the actual flight time to the scene?ETAs provided to the requestor will include the lift time of the aircraft and the flight time. MedFlight accurately provides ETA’s so that the medical professionals caring for a patient can make a determination if the ETA is acceptable or another means of transport is needed. Communication Specialists are evaluated and held accountable on their ETA accuracy. What do you do if you cannot fly due to weather?If a MedFlight helicopter is unable to fly due to weather, the MedFlight Communication Center will ask the requestor if they would like a ground transport option. If ground is accepted, the Communication Center will activate the Flight Crew using a “Fly Car” to meet a vetted provider at the hospital to facilitate another appropriate solution for transport. The “Fly Car” is a mode of transport MedFlight crews can use instead of the helicopter during inclement weather when helicopters can’t fly.Can anyone do a ride along?All professional fire, EMS, law enforcement and/or medical caregivers can sign up to request a ride-a-long on our website . Click on the public relations tab and then observer program for more information and to sign up.Is there a patient you would not be able to fly?Maximum weight is always dependent on atmospheric conditions, our crew weights and fuel on board the aircraft. On average, a 360 pound patient that is 6 feet 6 inches tall will meet our weight and balance requirements. Some HAZMAT conditions may require alternative arrangements. MedComm Communicators can answer any questions and offer alternative solutions if needed.What happens if MedFlight 8 (Preble County) is not available?MedComm with give an ETA of the closest MedFlight resource. If the ETA is not acceptable and the requestor requests a quicker ETA, MedComm will activate the closest MedFlight resource and call another CAMTS accredited service to activate their Helicopter. If the other service has a resource and is available with a quicker ETA, the flight is turned over to that service. If the other service does not have an available resource the caller will be informed of additional options.Can you do CPR in the Helicopter?Yes, MedFlight’s medical team has full access to the entire patient. MedFlight will continue to encourage emergency medical service personnel to transport patients in cardiac arrest to the nearest medical facility by ground vehicle. Patients should not be held at the scene of an illness or injury awaiting air transport. Patients who are in cardiac arrest upon the assumption of care by MedFlight, shall be treated according to ACLS, ATLS, PALS and MedFlight protocols and transported without delay to the nearest appropriate facility willing to accept the patient.I've heard it's not safe to have another helicopter in this region. MedFlight has been in business in the Columbus area and across the state for many years. In Columbus we can have our entire fleet of eight helicopters returning patients into the city in a short time span. Along with our helicopters, there are the multiple others bringing patients to OSU including Cleveland Clinic, Toledo LifeFlight, AirEvac, and Careflight. In addition, Columbus police have two helicopters and one of the news stations have one. The main hospitals in the area are right next to Columbus International Airport and Don Scott Airport. With that being said, all the pilots have the capability to talk to each other. In addition, MedComm is talking to all incoming and outgoing aircraft. With the excellent personnel in MedComm and the vigilance of the pilots and crews from all the programs, we remain safe. Adding another helicopter into the Dayton area for us is not unsafe. We will talk to CareComm when we enter and leave the airspace and expect them to keep us aware of any of their aircraft in the airspace. Is a single engine aircraft less safe than a twin engine aircraft?MedFlight has never experienced a helicopter accident resulting in injury or loss of life.The single engine aircraft is just as safe as the twin engine aircraft. According to air medical industry ADAMS database, although air medical helicopter crashes are rare, 51% were twin engine fatalities/crashes compared to 49% being in single engine aircraft fatalities/crashes (see pie-chart below). 763159-61313400Unfortunately, most crashes are attributed to human factors, not the type of helicopter flown at that time. MedFlight has a Safety Management System (SMS) to help identify threats and prevent human errors Rest assured, MedFlight has vetted all aspects of helicopter safety and service capability and is proud to offer you, our crews, and your patients, an enhanced air frame built on safety and enhanced service for those you serve.Level 1 vs. Level 2 Trauma Designation and transport Trauma legislation in Ohio states that when a patient meets prescribed criteria, EMS will take the patient to a trauma center. It does not mandate a level. It does state that any verified trauma center of any level can handle an emergent trauma. EMS helicopters will transfer patients to a Level1/Level2 trauma center for care. (Both are acceptable). EMS is not liable for sending a patient to a Level 2 instead of a Level 1. MedFlight’s Medical Director Dr. Howard Werman has vetted Kettering's Level 2 as operating at a Level 1 clinically. Kettering trauma surgeons are in house 24/7, cardiothoracic, Neuro, and Ortho physicians are all available just like at a Level 1.? ................
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