These will soon be commonplace.

[Guest guest]

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin settled

a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and operated a

helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while taking off from

Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at approximately 5:30 am.

The helicopter was attempting to transport Goodwin after she was hit by a

truck near a rest area. Goodwin was killed in the collision, along with the

flight nurse, flight paramedic and the pilot. From the medical reports it

appeared that Goodwin suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist. During

the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies declined

the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter crashed after

taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The helicopter took off

from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was attempting to take Goodwin

to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn & Lowry,

LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries were not life

threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. " said Jeff ,

attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary flight that tragically

cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to taking

unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According to the

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55 emergency medical

aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and 18 serious injuries

from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB recently released a study

in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and their safety issues. The study

found that air ambulances are used excessively, lack procedures for flight

risk evaluations, and have inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one of

the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain awareness and

warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

To Mr. Bledsoe,

Why are you so against air medical transport? As a medic from a rural

area, I have seen many patients who were flown to the closest " Appropriate "

facility. I am sorry if the local transfer companies lose out on the money

for a transfer when my local facility does not get the patient. I always

err on the side of my patient and I do realize the cost I am placing on that

patient but that is not my worry in the back of the ambulance. I do not

base any of my care on the cost to the patient but by the necessity of the

care. As for the safety of " air ambulances " , I would like to see your

safety percentages vs. ground ambulances. How many patients are killed or

seriously harmed in air ambulances vs the same in ground ambulances? Every

time you turn around you here about another ambulance having a wreck. There

have been very few " air ambulance " wrecks overall but they are the ones

persecuted by the media. I wonder if some of this comes from area docs and

hospitals who think they are losing income from not getting to see this

patient who " could " have a lengthy stay, AKA big bill, at there facility.

Based on some things at hospitals I have transported to, I would honestly

believe this is happening. As for the safety of the units, I know that

there is much more maintenance and general housekeeping of these units vs.

you average ambulance because it is already required by the FAA for

helicopters in general. As the crew on scene, we don't know what the

weather is like 50 miles away when the helicopter was unable to fly but 45

miles away the weather could be much better and that unit could help my

patient. So I don’t see the harm in contacting another company. Once again

I ask you for your reasons for being so negative towards a life saving

practice? Its time for EMS to advance past the old ways and move towards

the future.

Ince

" He who dares, wins! "

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin settled

a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and operated a

helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while taking off from

Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at approximately 5:30 am.

The helicopter was attempting to transport Goodwin after she was hit by a

truck near a rest area. Goodwin was killed in the collision, along with the

flight nurse, flight paramedic and the pilot. From the medical reports it

appeared that Goodwin suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist. During

the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies declined

the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter crashed after

taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The helicopter took off

from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was attempting to take Goodwin

to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn & Lowry,

LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries were not life

threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. " said Jeff ,

attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary flight that tragically

cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to taking

unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According to the

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55 emergency medical

aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and 18 serious injuries

from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB recently released a study

in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and their safety issues. The study

found that air ambulances are used excessively, lack procedures for flight

risk evaluations, and have inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one of

the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain awareness and

warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

Se comments in the text of your email:

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin settled

a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and operated a

helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while taking off from

Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at approximately 5:30 am.

The helicopter was attempting to transport Goodwin after she was hit by a

truck near a rest area. Goodwin was killed in the collision, along with the

flight nurse, flight paramedic and the pilot. From the medical reports it

appeared that Goodwin suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist. During

the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies declined

the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter crashed after

taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The helicopter took off

from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was attempting to take Goodwin

to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn & Lowry,

LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries were not life

threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. " said Jeff ,

attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary flight that tragically

cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to taking

unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According to the

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55 emergency medical

aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and 18 serious injuries

from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB recently released a study

in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and their safety issues. The study

found that air ambulances are used excessively, lack procedures for flight

risk evaluations, and have inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one of

the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain awareness and

warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

Mr. Bledsoe,

Based on your response, I gather that you come from a system that has a

level one trauma center within one hour of your service area? Or a stroke

unit within three hours of your area? How about a cardiac cath lab? Would

this be over use of aeromedical services? Maybe there is little evidence

that aeromedical services save lives, but I would be interested in seeing

these studies due to personally seeing these services used for the

betterment of my patients. As for area hospitals sitting on patients with

insurance, I have seen this several times and have a former teacher who is

no longer able to work or function normally because the local hospital kept

her in the ER for 12+ hours before transporting her out for a positive CVA.

This is when she was brought to their facility within one hour of onset. As

for RADAR, I have yet to see an ambulance with this feature and nor would I

like to see it. That is the decision of the pilot and the flight crew, not

mine. I do not think that any of our area aeromedical services would fly

and risk their own lives so that the owners could make a profit. The future

of EMS might improve with the hospitals that we transfer patients too. The

ball is in their court to lower aeromedical transports. When our local

hospitals can provide the same quality of care as the appropriate facilities

that are now located 50+ miles away, then I will no longer need to transport

patients via aeromedical services.

Ince

" He who dares, wins! "

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin settled

a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and operated a

helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while taking off from

Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at approximately 5:30 am.

The helicopter was attempting to transport Goodwin after she was hit by a

truck near a rest area. Goodwin was killed in the collision, along with the

flight nurse, flight paramedic and the pilot. From the medical reports it

appeared that Goodwin suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist. During

the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies declined

the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter crashed after

taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The helicopter took off

from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was attempting to take Goodwin

to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn & Lowry,

LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries were not life

threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. " said Jeff ,

attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary flight that tragically

cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to taking

unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According to the

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55 emergency medical

aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and 18 serious injuries

from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB recently released a study

in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and their safety issues. The study

found that air ambulances are used excessively, lack procedures for flight

risk evaluations, and have inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one of

the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain awareness and

warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

Jesus smart one, first off, how about you address the man as DOCTOR? I do

believe he has earned it! One...proof-read your letter, Two...lap top computers

do wonders for alot of us, try weather.com or do computers exist in BFE? Oh by

the way doc, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUB!!! Come by the Star and get some cake.

Ince wrote: Mr. Bledsoe,

Based on your response, I gather that you come from a system that has a

level one trauma center within one hour of your service area? Or a stroke

unit within three hours of your area? How about a cardiac cath lab? Would

this be over use of aeromedical services? Maybe there is little evidence

that aeromedical services save lives, but I would be interested in seeing

these studies due to personally seeing these services used for the

betterment of my patients. As for area hospitals sitting on patients with

insurance, I have seen this several times and have a former teacher who is

no longer able to work or function normally because the local hospital kept

her in the ER for 12+ hours before transporting her out for a positive CVA.

This is when she was brought to their facility within one hour of onset. As

for RADAR, I have yet to see an ambulance with this feature and nor would I

like to see it. That is the decision of the pilot and the flight crew, not

mine. I do not think that any of our area aeromedical services would fly

and risk their own lives so that the owners could make a profit. The future

of EMS might improve with the hospitals that we transfer patients too. The

ball is in their court to lower aeromedical transports. When our local

hospitals can provide the same quality of care as the appropriate facilities

that are now located 50+ miles away, then I will no longer need to transport

patients via aeromedical services.

Ince

" He who dares, wins! "

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin settled

a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and operated a

helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while taking off from

Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at approximately 5:30 am.

The helicopter was attempting to transport Goodwin after she was hit by a

truck near a rest area. Goodwin was killed in the collision, along with the

flight nurse, flight paramedic and the pilot. From the medical reports it

appeared that Goodwin suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist. During

the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies declined

the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter crashed after

taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The helicopter took off

from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was attempting to take Goodwin

to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn & Lowry,

LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries were not life

threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. " said Jeff ,

attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary flight that tragically

cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to taking

unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According to the

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55 emergency medical

aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and 18 serious injuries

from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB recently released a study

in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and their safety issues. The study

found that air ambulances are used excessively, lack procedures for flight

risk evaluations, and have inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one of

the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain awareness and

warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

Another Groupie of the " doctor " . First off for you, why not be a

professional as everyone in this list serve likes to say. As for my

proof-reading, you " doctor " made some mistakes as well but I am more

professional to not fly off the handle and flame someone for a grammatical

error. As for laptops, why is it my responsibility to know the weather? I

don't make the decisions to fly their helicopter. Not to mention that not

all services can afford to put a laptop with wireless internet access in

their units. So if you would like to make a donation please let me know but

until then I will finish my conversation with Doctor Bledsoe.

Ince

" He who dares, wins! "

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin settled

a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and operated a

helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while taking off from

Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at approximately 5:30 am.

The helicopter was attempting to transport Goodwin after she was hit by a

truck near a rest area. Goodwin was killed in the collision, along with the

flight nurse, flight paramedic and the pilot. From the medical reports it

appeared that Goodwin suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist. During

the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies declined

the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter crashed after

taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The helicopter took off

from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was attempting to take Goodwin

to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn & Lowry,

LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries were not life

threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. " said Jeff ,

attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary flight that tragically

cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to taking

unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According to the

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55 emergency medical

aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and 18 serious injuries

from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB recently released a study

in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and their safety issues. The study

found that air ambulances are used excessively, lack procedures for flight

risk evaluations, and have inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one of

the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain awareness and

warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

The studies are out there, just search for them. If you truly can't find

them, email me privately and I'll link you to them.

I find it amazing that in EMS, we still look to add the newest, latest

and greatest toys to our arsenal, yet when one of those 'toys' is

disproven, we refuse to let it go. Just as you ask for the scientific

evidence that air transport is not as effective as we once believed, I

have to ask you for the same thing, not anectdotal evidence, but

supported evidence that the use of helicopters, as they are being

overused today, is effective.

The woman in this case suffered a non life threatening injury, and for

some reason was transported by air. Weather aside, why was she flown out

at all?

I too worked for a small rural service where the nearest Level III was

at least 50 minutes by ground, the closest level I was 2 hours, and our

local hospital was a Level IV. Patient needed cardiac cath? They went by

ground. CVA and needed a stroke unit? They went by ground. We did an

unoffical survey (my rural partner and I) regarding transporting by air,

and calculated the amount of time saved flying, vs. ground. By the time

we added in flight time both directions, ground time, etc., the amount

of time saved was negligible. So what was the purpose of flying? Some

are afraid of caring for a critically ill or injured patient for the

length of time it takes to make it by ground. Others believe there is

some magic mojo medicine that can only be performed at 1000ft off the

ground. Still others do it for bragging rights.

There are some out there that do it simply because they lack the

education, or the resources to understand the downfall of air medical

transportation, or because they refuse to see it, the latter are the

truly dangerous ones.

I take exception that the ball is in the court of hospitals to reduce

unwarranted flights. No one else has the responsibility? I can't believe

that. We, as ground services have the responsibility not only to our

patients, but to the flight crew as well, to not make them fly when they

don't need to.

If you are sitting on the ground waiting for a helicopter, you are

wasting time.

Hatfield FF/EMT-P

www.michaelhatfield.net

www.canyonlakefire-ems.org

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin

settled a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and

operated a helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while

taking off from Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at

approximately 5:30 am. The helicopter was attempting to transport

Goodwin after she was hit by a truck near a rest area. Goodwin was

killed in the collision, along with the flight nurse, flight paramedic

and the pilot. From the medical reports it appeared that Goodwin

suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist.

During the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies

declined the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter

crashed after taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The

helicopter took off from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was

attempting to take Goodwin to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn &

Lowry, LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries

were not life threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. "

said Jeff , attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary

flight that tragically cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to

taking unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According

to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55

emergency medical aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and

18 serious injuries from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB

recently released a study in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and

their safety issues. The study found that air ambulances are used

excessively, lack procedures for flight risk evaluations, and have

inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one

of the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain

awareness and warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these

accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

I would take the best points of both your views - that flying is a very

beneficial thing to have for some patients and obviously those who need time

saved and for the longer trips. Of course. But it's also obvious it has to be

done right.

When it's almost indiscriminate (some flight programs flying virtually

everything) then it has to be questioned. I cannot find fault with a

spokesperson for EMS (such as Bledsoe) for promoting safety and

questioning the validity of some flights. He should. We all should. I have

personally known of way, way too many flights made that bring a patient in that

is in no real immediate distress and experiences hours and hours of " waiting "

time in the ED with no urgent care provided. That flight cannot be justified.

Flight programs are guilty. Maybe not all. But many are. No doubt about it. The

other side of the coin is the patient(s) that survive only because they got into

a trauma surgeon's hands quickly and did so by flying. For that - we all applaud

the flight programs.

Dr. Bledsoe - keep up the discussion. Flight medics (like Mr. Ince) - keep up

the wonderful work please.. but be safe.

Don

>>> bbledsoe@... 04/19/06 8:42 AM >>>

Se comments in the text of your email:

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin settled

a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and operated a

helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while taking off from

Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at approximately 5:30 am.

The helicopter was attempting to transport Goodwin after she was hit by a

truck near a rest area. Goodwin was killed in the collision, along with the

flight nurse, flight paramedic and the pilot. From the medical reports it

appeared that Goodwin suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist. During

the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies declined

the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter crashed after

taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The helicopter took off

from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was attempting to take Goodwin

to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn & Lowry,

LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries were not life

threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. " said Jeff ,

attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary flight that tragically

cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to taking

unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According to the

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55 emergency medical

aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and 18 serious injuries

from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB recently released a study

in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and their safety issues. The study

found that air ambulances are used excessively, lack procedures for flight

risk evaluations, and have inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one of

the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain awareness and

warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

Mike,

We, as ground services have the responsibility not only to our

patients, but to the flight crew as well, to not make them fly when they

don't need to.

You just stated the problem. It's about perception of need. 's is

different from 's as mine is to yours. Trying to second guess

someones decision after the fact is like trying to hold on to greasy

ball bearings. If you pay close attention what you hear saying is

that at times there is a real need to fly patients. If you don't listen

closely you hear him saying we just don't need them. I think heard

the last and it is easily understood that way due to the amount of

verbage from on the subject.

I think and are both entitled to their point of view on the

subject. I also think that it doesn't matter in this informal setting

whether on not your spellingsingskika is correct or not. So I think the

person that posted knocking because of grammer or spelling was off

base.

It really is never cut and dried if a patient should be flown or not.

All we have is our best judgement at the time. Fly when you have to

don't when you don't.

don't let folks on this list put you off. Any time you want to

comment feel free to.

Henry

Hatfield wrote:

> The studies are out there, just search for them. If you truly can't

> find

> them, email me privately and I'll link you to them.

>

> I find it amazing that in EMS, we still look to add the newest, latest

>

> and greatest toys to our arsenal, yet when one of those 'toys' is

> disproven, we refuse to let it go. Just as you ask for the scientific

> evidence that air transport is not as effective as we once believed, I

>

> have to ask you for the same thing, not anectdotal evidence, but

> supported evidence that the use of helicopters, as they are being

> overused today, is effective.

>

> The woman in this case suffered a non life threatening injury, and for

>

> some reason was transported by air. Weather aside, why was she flown

> out

> at all?

>

> I too worked for a small rural service where the nearest Level III was

>

> at least 50 minutes by ground, the closest level I was 2 hours, and

> our

> local hospital was a Level IV. Patient needed cardiac cath? They went

> by

> ground. CVA and needed a stroke unit? They went by ground. We did an

> unoffical survey (my rural partner and I) regarding transporting by

> air,

> and calculated the amount of time saved flying, vs. ground. By the

> time

> we added in flight time both directions, ground time, etc., the amount

>

> of time saved was negligible. So what was the purpose of flying? Some

> are afraid of caring for a critically ill or injured patient for the

> length of time it takes to make it by ground. Others believe there is

> some magic mojo medicine that can only be performed at 1000ft off the

> ground. Still others do it for bragging rights.

>

> There are some out there that do it simply because they lack the

> education, or the resources to understand the downfall of air medical

> transportation, or because they refuse to see it, the latter are the

> truly dangerous ones.

>

> I take exception that the ball is in the court of hospitals to reduce

> unwarranted flights. No one else has the responsibility? I can't

> believe

> that. We, as ground services have the responsibility not only to our

> patients, but to the flight crew as well, to not make them fly when

> they

> don't need to.

>

> If you are sitting on the ground waiting for a helicopter, you are

> wasting time.

>

> Hatfield FF/EMT-P

> www.michaelhatfield.net

> www.canyonlakefire-ems.org

>

>

>

> These will soon be commonplace.

>

> Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

>

> Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin

> settled a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and

> operated a helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while

>

> taking off from Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at

> approximately 5:30 am. The helicopter was attempting to transport

> Goodwin after she was hit by a truck near a rest area. Goodwin was

> killed in the collision, along with the flight nurse, flight paramedic

>

> and the pilot. From the medical reports it appeared that Goodwin

> suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

>

> The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist.

> During the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance

> companies

> declined the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter

> crashed after taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The

> helicopter took off from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was

> attempting to take Goodwin to the Medical Center.

>

> The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn &

> Lowry, LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries

> were not life threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. "

>

> said Jeff , attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary

> flight that tragically cost the life of the four people on board. "

>

> Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to

> taking unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According

>

> to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55

> emergency medical aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities

> and

> 18 serious injuries from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB

> recently released a study in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and

>

> their safety issues. The study found that air ambulances are used

> excessively, lack procedures for flight risk evaluations, and have

> inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

>

> Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is

> one

> of the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain

> awareness and warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these

> accidents.

>

> The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I will agree with some of the information and I will admit to adding the

newest and greatest toys is something I agree with you on that once we get

them we are reluctant to let them go. On the flip side I think that several

studies shown on this list serve are not wholly accurate. I disagree that a

100 patient study is wholly accurate compared to the 10 year many thousand

patient studies. I have never said that I believe that all the flights that

are occurring are necessary; however I do believe that when either of my

services flies a patient that it was done wholly for the benefit of the

patient. We are not in the practice of using whoever will fly. If one

service cannot fly to weather, we do not automatically go to the next

service available. Most often at that point we will ground the patient to

the appropriate facility. A medic who flew for bragging rights or due to

ignorance would not last long among my peers at my services. It is always a

consideration of safety vs. patient care regardless of the situation.

Whether it be starting an IV or making a transport decision. I don’t want a

patient to be harmed by either decision I have to make. As for the wasting

time, I think many still have the old mind set of load and go. We are now

much more educated and more able to manage patients than in years past. If

I have to spend ten more minutes with my patient so that they may get to a

level one trauma facility then I believe that those ten minutes are valuable

to support the patient.

Ince

" He who dares, wins! "

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin

settled a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and

operated a helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while

taking off from Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at

approximately 5:30 am. The helicopter was attempting to transport

Goodwin after she was hit by a truck near a rest area. Goodwin was

killed in the collision, along with the flight nurse, flight paramedic

and the pilot. From the medical reports it appeared that Goodwin

suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist.

During the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies

declined the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter

crashed after taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The

helicopter took off from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was

attempting to take Goodwin to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn &

Lowry, LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries

were not life threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. "

said Jeff , attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary

flight that tragically cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to

taking unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According

to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55

emergency medical aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and

18 serious injuries from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB

recently released a study in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and

their safety issues. The study found that air ambulances are used

excessively, lack procedures for flight risk evaluations, and have

inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one

of the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain

awareness and warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these

accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

Sometimes " he who dares " also dies.

" SecureMail <etmc.org> " made the following annotations on 04/19/06, 11:01:34.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*************************************************

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for the named recipient(s) and may contain

information that is privileged or exempt from

disclosure under applicable law. If you are

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that the dissemination, distribution or copying

of this message is strictly prohibited. If you

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==============================================================================

[Guest guest]

Henry,

I know you may not hear this often....but...you're right!!! (just

kidding)

The opinions here are excellent, and they are from a wide array of areas

and expertise, and I wholeheartedly agree that hammering him for his

spelling was innapropriate, some are just more passionate than others. I

hope this thread does not deteriorate as others have, and will do my

best to see that it doesn’t.

As far as second guessing after the fact. Sad to say, sometimes we have

too. That's how we learn, that's how we QA, that's how we realize that

something didn't work or should not have happened. Same goes for

ambulance and engine wrecks that kill or injure. What could we have done

different, what can we do different in the future?

On a passion scale of 1-10, s easily hits an 11, but then in some

things, I wish we all did.

There are always variables involved in flying, distance, nearest

facility, nearest APPROPRIATE facility, level fo care of the ground

service and the list could go on. If we let up on the fact that there

are times when air transportation is not the appropriate decision, or

make no mention of it afterward, we are in fact condoning the overuse as

it is today. Does that make sense?

I will refrain at this tiem to make any comments regading the 'greasy

ball bearing', and hope that someday I am over the trauma of envisioning

you holding them in your hand.....

With greatest respect.... (seriously)

Hatfield FF/EMT-P

www.michaelhatfield.net

www.canyonlakefire-ems.org

These will soon be commonplace.

>

> Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

>

> Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin

> settled a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and

> operated a helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while

>

> taking off from Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at

> approximately 5:30 am. The helicopter was attempting to transport

> Goodwin after she was hit by a truck near a rest area. Goodwin was

> killed in the collision, along with the flight nurse, flight paramedic

>

> and the pilot. From the medical reports it appeared that Goodwin

> suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

>

> The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist.

> During the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance

> companies declined the flight because of the weather conditions. The

> helicopter crashed after taking off and getting caught on surrounding

> trees. The helicopter took off from Spartanburg Regional Medical

> Center and was attempting to take Goodwin to the Medical Center.

>

> The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn &

> Lowry, LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries

> were not life threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. "

>

> said Jeff , attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary

> flight that tragically cost the life of the four people on board. "

>

> Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to

> taking unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According

>

> to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55

> emergency medical aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities

> and 18 serious injuries from January 2002 through January 2005. The

> NTSB recently released a study in January 2006 regarding air

> ambulances and

>

> their safety issues. The study found that air ambulances are used

> excessively, lack procedures for flight risk evaluations, and have

> inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

>

> Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is

> one of the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain

> awareness and warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these

> accidents.

>

> The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Every man Dies, not every man really lives...

Ince

" He who dares, wins! "

RE: These will soon be commonplace.

Sometimes " he who dares " also dies.

" SecureMail <etmc.org> " made the following annotations on 04/19/06,

11:01:34.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

--

*************************************************

This message is confidential, intended only

for the named recipient(s) and may contain

information that is privileged or exempt from

disclosure under applicable law. If you are

not the intended recipient(s), you are notified

that the dissemination, distribution or copying

of this message is strictly prohibited. If you

received this message in error, or are not the

named recipient(s), please notify the sender

and delete this e-mail from your computer.

ETMC has implemented secure messaging for

certain types of messages. For more information

about our secure messaging system, go to:

http://www.etmc.org/mail/

Thank you.

============================================================================

==

[Guest guest]

Couple of points:

RE: These will soon be commonplace.

Mr. Bledsoe,

Based on your response, I gather that you come from a system that has a

level one trauma center within one hour of your service area? Or a stroke

unit within three hours of your area? How about a cardiac cath lab? Would

this be over use of aeromedical services?

BEB: Unless the lesion was time specific.

Maybe there is little evidence that aeromedical services save lives, but I

would be interested in seeing these studies due to personally seeing these

services used for the betterment of my patients.

BEB: I placed your name in the NLM database regarding helicopter research

and it did not come up. Where were your studies published?

As for area hospitals sitting on patients with insurance, I have seen this

several times and have a former teacher who is no longer able to work or

function normally because the local hospital kept her in the ER for 12+

hours before transporting her out for a positive CVA.

BEB: First, sorry to hear about her. How do you know that transferring her

would have made a difference? Less than 1% of stroke patients brought to

stroke centers receive tPA.

This is when she was brought to their facility within one hour of onset. As

for RADAR, I have yet to see an ambulance with this feature and nor would I

like to see it. That is the decision of the pilot and the flight crew, not

mine. I do not think that any of our area aeromedical services would fly

and risk their own lives so that the owners could make a profit.

BEB: There you are wrong. The crash in South Carolina and another in

Florida were due to flights into bad weather due to pressure to fly. The

helicopter crash in Pecos was due to the pilot flying into weather that

could have been avoided. The crash in La Gloria resulted from the pilot,

who admitted he had difficulty flying at night, took a flight into a dark

area of south Texas on a moonless night and flew the helicopter into the

ground killing three. There are numerous documented accidents such as these

in the databases.

The future of EMS might improve with the hospitals that we transfer patients

too. The ball is in their court to lower aeromedical transports. When our

local hospitals can provide the same quality of care as the appropriate

facilities that are now located 50+ miles away, then I will no longer need

to transport to patients via aeromedical services.

BEB: That is a local hospital decision that is being addressed in various

venues.

Ince

" He who dares, wins! "

Mr. Bledsoe

" He who swears, curses! "

[Guest guest]

We are on a first name basis on this list. You don't have to call me Dr.

Bledsoe unless you have chest pain or vaginal bleeding.

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin settled

a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and operated a

helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while taking off from

Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at approximately 5:30 am.

The helicopter was attempting to transport Goodwin after she was hit by a

truck near a rest area. Goodwin was killed in the collision, along with the

flight nurse, flight paramedic and the pilot. From the medical reports it

appeared that Goodwin suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist. During

the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies declined

the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter crashed after

taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The helicopter took off

from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was attempting to take Goodwin

to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn & Lowry,

LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries were not life

threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. " said Jeff ,

attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary flight that tragically

cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to taking

unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According to the

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55 emergency medical

aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and 18 serious injuries

from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB recently released a study

in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and their safety issues. The study

found that air ambulances are used excessively, lack procedures for flight

risk evaluations, and have inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one of

the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain awareness and

warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

Ah, , it's DOCTOR BLEDSOE, I believe.

Most of the issues you mention have been discussed and answered numerous

times, so I won't belabor those points. I believe that you have some

misconceptions about helicopter medical transport, and I hope you'll do some

research into

the subject.

Here's a link to an article that will start you off:

http://www.bookofjoe.com/2005/03/behindthemedspe_15.html

The one statement I must reply to is your reference to air transport as being

a " life saving practice. " There is NO evidence that air transportation is

life saving, per se. It can be a tool when properly used, but the evidence is

not there to show that air transport is any better than ground transport

except in extremely limited circumstances, and it's far more dangerous than

ground

transport.

Most of the time ground transport is faster, safer, and much less expensive

for the same medical care.

A move AWAY from air transport is the EMS of the future. It's way overused.

There ARE times when it can be useful, and I have used it myself on occasion.

Generally these occasions are when the patient is in a remote area with

difficult access, or transport to a distant center with specialized services is

time sensitive. Not many occasions like that.

We've all had to change our thinking about many things that we have done in

the past, and we will continue to do so. That's how progress is made.

I sincerely urge you to explore the pros and cons of helo transport. I think

you'll find that some of your assumptions are, just like mine were, invalid.

I appreciate your post, and please don't let the fact that I disagree with

you stop you from further posts. Good conversation leads to learning.

Best,

Gene Gandy

In a message dated 4/19/06 08:09:58 Central Daylight Time, wjince@...

writes:

> Subj:RE: These will soon be commonplace.

> Date:4/19/06 08:09:58 Central Daylight Time

> From:wjince@...

> Reply-to:texasems-l

> To:texasems-l

> Sent from the Internet

>

>

>

> To Mr. Bledsoe,

> Why are you so against air medical transport? As a medic from a rural

> area, I have seen many patients who were flown to the closest " Appropriate "

> facility. I am sorry if the local transfer companies lose out on the money

> for a transfer when my local facility does not get the patient. I always

> err on the side of my patient and I do realize the cost I am placing on that

> patient but that is not my worry in the back of the ambulance. I do not

> base any of my care on the cost to the patient but by the necessity of the

> care. As for the safety of " air ambulances " , I would like to see your

> safety percentages vs. ground ambulances. How many patients are killed or

> seriously harmed in air ambulances vs the same in ground ambulances? Every

> time you turn around you here about another ambulance having a wreck. There

> have been very few " air ambulance " wrecks overall but they are the ones

> persecuted by the media. I wonder if some of this comes from area docs and

> hospitals who think they are losing income from not getting to see this

> patient who " could " have a lengthy stay, AKA big bill, at there facility.

> Based on some things at hospitals I have transported to, I would honestly

> believe this is happening. As for the safety of the units, I know that

> there is much more maintenance and general housekeeping of these units vs.

> you average ambulance because it is already required by the FAA for

> helicopters in general. As the crew on scene, we don't know what the

> weather is like 50 miles away when the helicopter was unable to fly but 45

> miles away the weather could be much better and that unit could help my

> patient. So I don’t see the harm in contacting another company. Once again

> I ask you for your reasons for being so negative towards a life saving

> practice? Its time for EMS to advance past the old ways and move towards

> the future.

>

> Ince

>

> " He who dares, wins! "

>

>

> These will soon be commonplace.

>

> Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

>

> Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin settled

> a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and operated a

> helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while taking off from

> Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at approximately 5:30 am.

> The helicopter was attempting to transport Goodwin after she was hit by a

> truck near a rest area. Goodwin was killed in the collision, along with the

> flight nurse, flight paramedic and the pilot. From the medical reports it

> appeared that Goodwin suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

>

> The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist. During

> the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies declined

> the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter crashed after

> taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The helicopter took off

> from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was attempting to take Goodwin

> to the Medical Center.

>

> The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn & Lowry,

> LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries were not life

> threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. " said Jeff ,

> attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary flight that tragically

> cost the life of the four people on board. "

>

> Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to taking

> unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According to the

> National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55 emergency medical

> aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and 18 serious injuries

> from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB recently released a study

> in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and their safety issues. The study

> found that air ambulances are used excessively, lack procedures for flight

> risk evaluations, and have inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

>

> Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one of

> the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain awareness and

> warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these accidents.

>

> The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 19-Apr-06 11:25:05 Central Daylight Time,

hatfield@... writes:

There are always variables involved in flying, distance, nearest

facility, nearest APPROPRIATE facility, level fo care of the ground

service and the list could go on. If we let up on the fact that there

are times when air transportation is not the appropriate decision, or

make no mention of it afterward, we are in fact condoning the overuse as

it is today. Does that make sense?

one of the other things that must be remembered is that if you call the helo

service appropriately (and most I have worked with will either check weather

and launch on notification, or at least get the weather check done and

preflight), you can get the bird on the way while you are doing the initial

evaluation and stabilization of the patients that need it the most...and if it

turns out that air ambulance is not appropriate for the patient, then you can

turn them around. Life Air Rescue out of Shreveport and The Hospital Wing out of

Memphis were both very good about this...and incidentally both were 'loss

leaders' for the hospital groups that used them and rarely balance billed

patients, even when there was no insurance.

at that point, the helo service does what it does best...reduces the *out of

hospital* time...while the over all time from call for the helo to patient

in the receiving facility may not be any shorter than if you loaded the

unstable patient in a ground ambulance and sent them on the way, the amount of

time

in a relatively *uncontrollable* status is limited.

And unless you are talking about a specialized neonate team, or there is a

trauma fellow riding along with the team, even the worst cases can be

initially stabilized in a small town ED with a decent doc and good nurses by the

time

the bird gets there, and then loaded into the helo for transport in much

better condition than they were in the field.

ck

S. Krin, DO FAAFP

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 19-Apr-06 12:46:26 Central Daylight Time,

hatfield@... writes:

If you are sitting on the ground waiting for a helicopter, you are

wasting time.

agreed...but see my other post about door to door times...and the use of

small town EDs to start resuscitation...

S. Krin, DO FAAFP

[Guest guest]

,

Can you point us to a scientific study that concludes that air medical

transport is used appropriately in the majority of patients? I always take

research studies with a grain (or two) of salt. However, when numerous studies

come to relatively the same conclusion they each lend credibility to each other.

I don’t think anyone on this list said, “Damned with the helicopters!” Many

of us (search the archives, we’ve had this discussion many times) have said that

everyone (ground crews, FRO’s, and air crews) need to reevaluate the patients we

fly and determine if any given flight is really worth the risks associated with

the flight.

Food for though,

Tater

Ince wrote:

I will agree with some of the information and I will admit to adding the

newest and greatest toys is something I agree with you on that once we get

them we are reluctant to let them go. On the flip side I think that several

studies shown on this list serve are not wholly accurate. I disagree that a

100 patient study is wholly accurate compared to the 10 year many thousand

patient studies. I have never said that I believe that all the flights that

are occurring are necessary; however I do believe that when either of my

services flies a patient that it was done wholly for the benefit of the

patient. We are not in the practice of using whoever will fly. If one

service cannot fly to weather, we do not automatically go to the next

service available. Most often at that point we will ground the patient to

the appropriate facility. A medic who flew for bragging rights or due to

ignorance would not last long among my peers at my services. It is always a

consideration of safety vs. patient care regardless of the situation.

Whether it be starting an IV or making a transport decision. I don’t want a

patient to be harmed by either decision I have to make. As for the wasting

time, I think many still have the old mind set of load and go. We are now

much more educated and more able to manage patients than in years past. If

I have to spend ten more minutes with my patient so that they may get to a

level one trauma facility then I believe that those ten minutes are valuable

to support the patient.

Ince

" He who dares, wins! "

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin

settled a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and

operated a helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while

taking off from Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at

approximately 5:30 am. The helicopter was attempting to transport

Goodwin after she was hit by a truck near a rest area. Goodwin was

killed in the collision, along with the flight nurse, flight paramedic

and the pilot. From the medical reports it appeared that Goodwin

suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist.

During the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies

declined the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter

crashed after taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The

helicopter took off from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was

attempting to take Goodwin to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn &

Lowry, LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries

were not life threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. "

said Jeff , attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary

flight that tragically cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to

taking unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According

to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55

emergency medical aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and

18 serious injuries from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB

recently released a study in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and

their safety issues. The study found that air ambulances are used

excessively, lack procedures for flight risk evaluations, and have

inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one

of the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain

awareness and warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these

accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

Most certainly, all men die; arguably, not all men truly live--but I

have it on very sound authority (Gomi, 1993) that everybody poops.

R.

Ref: Gomi, T. (1993). Everybody poops. LaJolla, CA: Kane/

(27pp).

>

> Every man Dies, not every man really lives...

>

> Ince

>

> " He who dares, wins! "

>

>

> RE: These will soon be commonplace.

>

> Sometimes " he who dares " also dies.

>

>

>

> " SecureMail <etmc.org> " made the following annotations on 04/19/06,

> 11:01:34.

> -------------------------------------------------------------------

---------

> --

> *************************************************

> This message is confidential, intended only

> for the named recipient(s) and may contain

> information that is privileged or exempt from

> disclosure under applicable law. If you are

> not the intended recipient(s), you are notified

> that the dissemination, distribution or copying

> of this message is strictly prohibited. If you

> received this message in error, or are not the

> named recipient(s), please notify the sender

> and delete this e-mail from your computer.

>

> ETMC has implemented secure messaging for

> certain types of messages. For more information

> about our secure messaging system, go to:

>

> http://www.etmc.org/mail/

>

> Thank you.

>

=====================================================================

=======

> ==

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Everyone on this list is concerned with numerous research studies that have

been done but few to none have mentioned real world experiences. I know

what I have seen and that is the air medical does indeed make a difference.

What I have gathered from these numerous studies is that the system has been

used too much by some providers. This does increase the risk overall in the

statistical sense; however I do not believe that all services and their use

of air medical is shown in any of these studies. I know some medics who

would fly anything and others who don't fly anything. All I have said is

that air medical has a useful legitimate place in EMS when utilized

correctly. Those studies that have been posted are not the end all of this

discussion. They all say further research is necessary. A major issue in

this field is education and credibility. As long as we allow anyone with a

building to teach EMS and not an accredited college institution teach the

new medics then we will never move forward. I believe that education is the

main reason that these studies are showing so much negativity. Numerous

programs do not teach new medics how to assess a patient properly and

thoroughly. When someone is going via air medical transport then It should

be a necessary situation based on the patients condition, not solely based

on the mechanism of injury. All the posts I have seen on this list in the

past about regulation and governance of our industry have left out education

for the most part. Why not start with regulations that govern who can

educate the next group of medics? We have progressed from the era of

workforce education and are now truly a profession so why not require our

members to be educated like any other professional group?

Ince

 

" He who dares, wins! "

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin

settled a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and

operated a helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while

taking off from Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at

approximately 5:30 am. The helicopter was attempting to transport

Goodwin after she was hit by a truck near a rest area. Goodwin was

killed in the collision, along with the flight nurse, flight paramedic

and the pilot. From the medical reports it appeared that Goodwin

suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist.

During the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies

declined the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter

crashed after taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The

helicopter took off from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was

attempting to take Goodwin to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn &

Lowry, LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries

were not life threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. "

said Jeff , attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary

flight that tragically cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to

taking unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According

to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55

emergency medical aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and

18 serious injuries from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB

recently released a study in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and

their safety issues. The study found that air ambulances are used

excessively, lack procedures for flight risk evaluations, and have

inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one

of the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain

awareness and warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these

accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

I HAVE mentioned real world experience . I worked (until recently)

in a rural atmosphere where our facility was a level IV, the nearest III

was 50 miles, and the nearest I was 2 hours or greater. If you review

my post, I also said that after an informal evaluation by my partner (at

the time) and I, we found that HELO did not save time or lives in our

respective areas.

No one on here has said that HELO is dead, or that it doesn't belong,

what I have said (as I cannot speak for anyone else) is that HELO is WAY

overused. The lack of education comes from many places, not just the

classroom. Directors, Medical Directors, Flight Services and many others

have the responsibility to educate people on the proper use of HELO.

Real world experiences to me, are anectdotal. Have I seen times when

HELO made a difference? Sure have, but they were few and far between. As

a flight medic, I would be willing to bet that less than 5% of our

patients actually benefited from flying. Your logic about real world

experience implies that we should keep MAST on the truck, 'cause they

worked once'. Or that Sodium Bicarb should still be first line in

arrest, 'cause it worked a few times'. What's the difference?

The greatest point to take away from this thread is to look at how you

utilize HELO, and do it responsibly, that's it.

Do we not have a responsibility to educate our own staff? During QA,

when was the last time that someone honestly said, " Air transport was

not needed for that patient. " When was the last time a flight service

called a ground service and diplomatically told them that although they

appreciated the business, that the last patient could have gone by

ground instead of by air?

Studies are important, and research is what guides us into the next

generation of medicine, but if we ignore the statistics, then we are

doomed to remain where we are. Research is a tool to tell us what works

and what doesn't, why would we choose to not look at it with sincerity

and follow it if it is proven?

Hatfield FF/EMT-P

www.michaelhatfield.net

www.canyonlakefire-ems.org

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin

settled a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and

operated a helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while

taking off from Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at

approximately 5:30 am. The helicopter was attempting to transport

Goodwin after she was hit by a truck near a rest area. Goodwin was

killed in the collision, along with the flight nurse, flight paramedic

and the pilot. From the medical reports it appeared that Goodwin

suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist.

During the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies

declined the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter

crashed after taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The

helicopter took off from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was

attempting to take Goodwin to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn &

Lowry, LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries

were not life threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. "

said Jeff , attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary

flight that tragically cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to

taking unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According

to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55

emergency medical aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and

18 serious injuries from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB

recently released a study in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and

their safety issues. The study found that air ambulances are used

excessively, lack procedures for flight risk evaluations, and have

inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one

of the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain

awareness and warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these

accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

I am not trying to insinuate that the real world experience is not being

calculated here. I am merely saying that perhaps there is evidence that air

medical is being over used in some areas, but to judge the profession as a

whole is not doing justice to those who DO have a quality control program

that will tell the medic they were wrong, A medical director who will back

that up, and a peer group that will back up the right decision. You stated

" Real world experiences to me, are anecdotal " I strongly disagree that

studies are all we need to move forward in this field, how many times has

your service been involved in one of these studies? Those services that

maintain quality training and QA programs and that work hard to maintain the

professionalism of EMS suffer because of a lack of training and care at the

services that are involved in these studies. The big departments that are

usually involved in this type of research do not, on the whole, regulate

their employees as well as the smaller services.

Ince

 

" He who dares, wins! "

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin

settled a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and

operated a helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while

taking off from Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at

approximately 5:30 am. The helicopter was attempting to transport

Goodwin after she was hit by a truck near a rest area. Goodwin was

killed in the collision, along with the flight nurse, flight paramedic

and the pilot. From the medical reports it appeared that Goodwin

suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist.

During the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies

declined the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter

crashed after taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The

helicopter took off from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was

attempting to take Goodwin to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn &

Lowry, LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries

were not life threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. "

said Jeff , attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary

flight that tragically cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to

taking unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According

to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55

emergency medical aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and

18 serious injuries from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB

recently released a study in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and

their safety issues. The study found that air ambulances are used

excessively, lack procedures for flight risk evaluations, and have

inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one

of the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain

awareness and warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these

accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

The answers that you get on this list will at times be passionate, as

well they should be, the thread began with an article on a flight that

crashed killing all on board, while they were transporting a leg injury

which was not life threatening. We should be questioning everything we

do after that in order to avoid a repeat. We should be questioning how

we drive everytime an ambulance is wrecked or gets wrecked. That

article, the crash and the deaths over a non life threatening injury are

not the exception to the rule, the exception to the rule is the proper

use of HELO.

The profession as a whole is not being judged, but the facts of the

research show that each and every flight must be evaluated by the

profession as a whole.

HELO has it's place, but it is not as large as some make it out to be.

It actually sits on the shelf next to the fancy crich kit, and the chest

decompression kit on the ambulance shelf, and should be pulled out and

used about as often.

Hatfield FF/EMT-P

www.michaelhatfield.net

www.canyonlakefire-ems.org

These will soon be commonplace.

Family of Woman killed on an Air Ambulance settles Lawsuit

Savannah, Georgia - Apr 14, 2006 (PRN): The family of Goodwin

settled a lawsuit against the air ambulance company that owned and

operated a helicopter that crashed near Newberry, South Carolina while

taking off from Interstate 26. The crash occurred on July 13, 2004 at

approximately 5:30 am. The helicopter was attempting to transport

Goodwin after she was hit by a truck near a rest area. Goodwin was

killed in the collision, along with the flight nurse, flight paramedic

and the pilot. From the medical reports it appeared that Goodwin

suffered a leg injuring that was not life threatening.

The conditions during the night time flight were light fog and mist.

During the case it was discovered that two other air ambulance companies

declined the flight because of the weather conditions. The helicopter

crashed after taking off and getting caught on surrounding trees. The

helicopter took off from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and was

attempting to take Goodwin to the Medical Center.

The Goodwin family was represented by the law firm of Penn &

Lowry, LLP based in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia. " 's injuries

were not life threatening and she begged not to go on the helicopter. "

said Jeff , attorney for the Goodwins. " This was an unnecessary

flight that tragically cost the life of the four people on board. "

Air ambulance companies have come under increasing scrutiny due to

taking unnecessary flights and inadequate safety procedures. According

to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) there were 55

emergency medical aircraft accidents which resulted in 54 fatalities and

18 serious injuries from January 2002 through January 2005. The NTSB

recently released a study in January 2006 regarding air ambulances and

their safety issues. The study found that air ambulances are used

excessively, lack procedures for flight risk evaluations, and have

inadequate flight dispatch procedures.

Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) during takeoff and landing is one

of the most common causes of air ambulance accidents. A terrain

awareness and warnings system (TAWS) could help avoid many of these

accidents.

The terms of the Goodwin's settlement are confidential.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/21/2006 12:44:34 Central Standard Time,

wjince@... writes:

You stated

" Real world experiences to me, are anecdotal "

If its not backed up with hard evidence, any information is anecdotal.

Bottom line is there are cases where a helicopter has been beneficial and many

more cases where helicopters are inappropriately used. All things are

relative.

Where I work, a helicopter is almost always beneficial because they can make

the flight in 1-2 hours where surface transport might take upwards of 12

hours. In metropolitan areas, you can usually have the patient to the hospital

by the time the helicopter can get on scene. Rural areas falls under the

heading of " it depends " . I've flown a patient who I thought needed it

(non-responsive, respiration at 8, pulse very rapid and weak, can't recall what

the BP

was). I called for the helicopter as soon as I saw the situation. Took us

20 minutes to extract the patient and the bird was on scene as we finished

the extraction. Hot loaded and away they went. On follow up, I found the

patient was treated and released with just some minor contusions and abrasions.

ETOH level was elevated. Maybe I shouldn't have flown the patient, but given

that we were BLS only, I needed more expertise on scene than I had. I

didn't fly another patient because by the time the bird could have gotten to

the

scene, we'd have been at the ER.

Training is going to be the key. Knowing that it will take 15-20 minutes

for the helo to arrive on scene can be tied to knowledge that it will take 30

minutes to extract a patient and a decision to fly can be a good one.

Conversely, it doesn't make a lot of sense to hold a patient with a non-life

threatening injury just so you can fly them. I've run across paramedics that

would

fly a patient because the unit would be out of service for an hour or so if

they didn't fly. Again, that doesn't make sense.

Kirk

EMT-B