Air Methods, the leading air medical service provider, is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of its SkyLife air ambulance service. Since opening in June of 1991, the SkyLife crews have completed more than 22,000 patient transports.
SkyLife provides essential lifesaving air medical services in central California. SkyLife has three helicopters and one fixed wing plane and is staffed by 18 RN’s, 17 paramedics, 16 pilots and seven mechanics. During missions their highly trained medical teams care for patients with lifesaving interventions to significantly improve patient outcomes. These interventions include providing advanced trauma care such as blood products administration; advanced airway intervention; cardiac/hemodynamic monitoring; ventilator management; vasoactive medication administration and titration; and advanced surgical procedures. With the continued consolidation of hospitals and the trend towards centers with specialized heart or neurological care, the clinical support and speed of missions is critical to giving patients the best possible outcomes.
Each aircraft is stocked with blood and plasma in flight to be administered during prehospital air medical transport for patients at risk for hemorrhagic shock. This combined with rapid air transport, can truly help critically ill or injured patients who otherwise might not survive 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 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the administration of thawed plasma during prehospital air medical transport to patients at risk for hemorrhagic shock resulted in lower 30-day mortality and faster blood clotting than standard-care resuscitation.
“We are tremendously proud of this anniversary for SkyLife, as we continue to see our crew delivering safe, reliable and high-quality care and transport to the residents and visitors in central California,” said Air Methods Area Manager Lisa Epps. “We’re looking forward to SkyLife delivering excellence in care and air medical services for many years to come as the community we serve continues to grow.”
As an in-network provider throughout California with a robust patient advocacy team to help patients navigate post-flight insurance requirements, it is Air Methods’ goal to keep their patients’ out-of-pocket expenses low. They do this, unlike many other air medical companies, without ever requiring or asking anyone to purchase air medical memberships, which are both an unnecessary and unregulated expense in California.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Amendola Communications on behalf of Air Methods.
