Category: General Health

The History of the Air Ambulance

We have all come to know the familiar sound of the helicopter overhead that is flying quickly from the scene of a tragic car crash to the nearest trauma center at a nearby hospital. We may have even known someone who has needed to utilize such air ambulance service. Do you know the history behind these marvelous methods of medical transportation?

Think back nearly a century ago. During World War I, air ambulances were first introduced. Between 1914 and 1918, a variety of military organization tested the use of flying ambulances to treat patients. Over time, this beginning has spawned into the air ambulances of today.

What later became the Royal Doctor Flying Service started in the year 1928. This milestone event was the first air ambulance service ever to exist. This service began in the Australian Outback. This non-profit organization was intended to provide service to people living in the remote areas of the Outback. The Royal Doctor Flying Service provided emergency medical care, as well as, primary care for individuals who found it difficult to reach general healthcare facilities or hospitals due to the distance.

In 1934, Marie Marvingt started an air ambulance service. This was the first civil air ambulance service in Africa. The air ambulance service was established in Morocco. Again, the remote areas and terrain played a role in the decision to begin this service in the specific location.

Marie Marvingt used her pioneering spirit and record-breaking personality to help others when she began the air ambulance unit. She was the first woman to fly combat missions as a bomber pilot. She also was a qualified nurse. Specializing in aviation medicine she was the perfect candidate to begin the air ambulance service in Morocco. In fact, she worked to establish air ambulance services worldwide.

It was in 1936 that a military air ambulance service assisted wounded. The injured were evacuated from the Spanish Civil War. The wounded received treatment in Nazi Germany.

The Saskatchewan government established the first civil air ambulance in North America in 1946. Regina, Canada was home to this landmark service. Still today the air ambulance service is in operation.

Only one year later in 1947, Schaefer Air Service began. This was the first air ambulance service in the U.S. Founded in Los Angeles, California by J. Walter Schaefer. The Schaefer air ambulance service also became the first to be FAA certified in the United States.

It wasn’t until November 1 of 1970, that the first German Air ambulance helicopter began service at the hospital of Harlaching, Munich. This unit was called Christoph 1. As the idea spread over Germany, the air ambulance service continued to grow rapidly. By 1975, Christoph 10 began service. Currently, around 80 helicopters are being used as air ambulances in Germany. Each unit is named after Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers.

Denver, Colorado was home to the first hospital-based air ambulance medical helicopter in the United States. In 1977, Flight for Life began. Soon, the helicopter air ambulances expanded to use other types of aircraft.

In 1977, Ontario, Canada a flight paramedic program began with a single rotor-wing aircraft. Today, this program has become the largest and most sophisticated air ambulance program in North America. The fleet is dispatched to over 17,000 missions annually.

Lee County, Florida began a public service air ambulance transport in 1978. They began using a Bell47 then progressed to a BO 105. Currently, they use a BO 105 and an EC-145.

Today, the air ambulance industry has grown and expanded to become worldwide. Aircraft vary from helicopters to jets. The medical advances and technology has also grown to include high-tech tools and equipment that can effectively monitor and prolong life during medical emergencies in the air.

Ride as an Observer in an Air Ambulance

Are you an EMT in search of a great educational experience? If so, pack your bags and bring some warm clothes, because you are headed off to Alaska. With a little planning, you can ride along inside an air ambulance as an observer. Imagine this opportunity.

As an observer on the air ambulance, you will not be expected to perform any medical duties or life-saving techniques, but you may be asked to assist by carrying medical equipment and restocking the aircraft between flights. So, you are wondering how you can sign up for this opportunity of a lifetime?

To make arrangements to ride along as an observer in an air ambulance, you first must contact Warbelows in Fairbanks, Alaska. Warbelows is the oldest and most experienced critical care air ambulance service. As a community outreach program, Warbelows has decided to make this ride along opportunity available to you. Where else can you observe such exciting and educational medical care while touring Alaska?

Yes, you can bring along your camera. The majestic view of Alaska from the air is unparalleled. If you are interested in taking photos inside the air ambulance, do please keep patient privacy in mind.

Warbelows services interior Alaska. Thirty villages look to Warbelows for medical assistance. Also, the air ambulance offers transport between Anchorage and Seattle hospitals. With this coverage area, you are sure to gain flight experience during the appointed shift.

The air ambulance aircraft is a Cheyenne II XL twin jet-prop aircraft. The aircraft is pressurized. This quiet air ambulance is capable of flying high altitudes to soar above the weather. With a cruising speed of 300 miles per hour, this flying critical care machine can get to patients speedily. The crew strives for a thirty minute launch time and quick arrival to ensure the highest quality in patient care.

The flight crew is caring and ready to respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The crew is trained in critical care. Training meetings occur twice a month to further train and educate the medical staff to meet certification requirements.

During any downtime between flights, you can use your time to learn and ask questions. Observers are given educational information to check out and study between flying missions. Regardless of the hours actually spent in the air during a shift, you will walk away from this opportunity with an experience that you will remember for a lifetime. Upon your arrival home you can share the ins and outs of your observational experience with your colleagues.

Any medical staff with an interest in emergency care, critical care, or air ambulance service will be delighted by Warbelow’s community outreach opportunity to ride along in an air ambulance as an observer. This experience is not only exciting, but educational.

Contact Warbelow today to schedule your appointed shift to ride along as an observer. Grab your uniform and your camera. You will soon be experiencing the ride of a lifetime in an air ambulance. This is an experience that you can hold onto for a lifetime.

Air Ambulance and Transported to Any Hospital of Choice

Whether you have pre-existing medical conditions or are as healthy as a horse, you never know what might happen. When you are close to home, you know just where to head in an emergency. If a medical emergency should arise, you would travel to your trusted local hospital to receive superior medical treatment near friends and family, but what happens when you are away from home?

Whether you are traveling a few states away or halfway around the globe, you can rest assured knowing that you can be transported to the hospital of your choice quickly and conveniently without experiencing outrageous costs. MedjetAssist is a company that offers excellent service for travelers at reasonable rates. A family can secure air ambulance transportation coverage while traveling over 150 miles from home for an annual fee of only $350. An individual pays only $225 for a year’s worth of coverage. What a small cost for peace of mind.

What makes MedjetAssist so different from other medical evacuation services? Like other medical evacuation services, MedjetAssist sends an air ambulance and medical staff to pick you up from the hospital to transport you to another medical facility. The difference lies in the details. MedjetAssist allows the patient to determine the hospital of their choice as the final destination. Most medical evacuation services require the transit to be deemed medically necessary. With MedjetAssist, it does not matter what the reason. MedjetAssist will be there to pick you up.

Upon hospitalization, the nature of the injury or illness does not matter. Most other medical evacuation services have specific conditions that apply for patients to be transported by air ambulance. MedjetAssist is different.

MedjetAssist has a global network of staff that can coordinate air ambulance transportation upon request from members. The fee for such transportation is extremely expensive for someone who does not have coverage. Medical transportation via air ambulance can cost between $10,000 to $75,000. As a member of MedjetAssist, you will not be charged this enormous fee. It is easy to see why this coverage is a good investment.

MedjetAssist also offers short-term coverage. This type of coverage is perfect for someone planning a trip several miles away from home. Maybe you are a homebody most of the time, but you have decided to spend a month away from home in a foreign country. You’ve already made the plans and purchased the tickets. Do you need to pay for an entire years worth of service? With MedjetAssist, short-term coverage is available. This type of coverage starts at a mere $85. Considering the cost of just one trip in an air ambulance, this service could really save a bundle of money.

Ask your travel agent about MedjetAssist service when planning your next trip away from home. It is comforting to know that you are protected regardless of where you travel around the world. The minimal investment will save a bundle if you should ever need to be transported by air ambulance and evacuated to your local home hospital. MedjetAssist offers excellent coverage at an affordable price.

Mayo MedAir Puts Safety First

The Mayo Clinic is well known for their top-notch medical standards and quality. People from all over the world enlist the services of the Mayo Clinic when medical situations arise that need specialized care. Like the Mayo Clinic, Mayo MedAir puts the patient and safety first. Any patient that requires air ambulance transport will be properly monitored, comfortable, and safe during the flight.

Mayo MedAir is a member of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services. Although no federal standards exist in the industry, air ambulance companies certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services are known to meet or exceed minimum standards. Such standards include competency and safety requirements. Standards in education, administration, communication, and maintenance are also considered. Mayo MedAir is the only CAMTS certified air ambulance company in the state of Minnesota, and one of few companies around the globe to make this level of commitment.

Mayo MedAir flights are known for their safety record. Each air ambulance has two pilots on board. The pilots are required to have numerous hours of experienced flight time. Several hours of flight time in high-traffic areas are a requirement for Mayo MedAir pilots. Unlike some other air ambulance companies, Mayo MedAir does not send out a single pilot on a medical mission. The pilots at Mayo MedAir are dedicated to medical missions. They are not pulled away from other positions to man a flight in an emergency.

The medical staff that accompanies the patient are a team of no fewer than two members. Each medical team is highly trained to tackle any condition the patient may have or an emergency that arises during transport. In specialized cases, the Mayo MedAir medical team may consist of more members that can directly deal with the specific medical needs of the patient. This fact is especially important in cases involving the need for NICU services or a respiratory therapist, for instance. Each member of the team works at the Mayo Clinic and is specially trained for critical care.

The medical team has a medical director above them that oversees their work. This position is filled by a Mayo Clinic physician trained in emergency care. The medical director is responsible for the actions of the medical team during the flight and transport, so the quality standards and safety record remains high. The care of the patient becomes top priority.

Safety of the patient is of utmost importance to Mayo MedAir. For this reason, each air ambulance carries standard equipment that allows the patient to receive proper treatment during transit. In addition to specialized medical tools and equipment, the air ambulance has the technology to stay in contact with physicians on the ground during the entire flight. Whether communication is via phone, email, or text message, the medical team and hospital are aware of all circumstances during transit.

It is clear to see that Mayo MedAir is committed to patient safety. This air ambulance service is dedicated to quality service. Every aspect of safety and patient care has been considered.