MedCenter Air has moved one of its helicopter units to the Concord Regional Airport.
The medical transport is operated by Carolinas HealthCare System, and transports critically ill or injured patients throughout the Charlotte region. The operation , which includes 16 team members, also moves patients from hospital to hospital, if necessary, and cuts down on transportation times for critical patients.
According to team leader Brian Huss, the group flew nine flights the first two days based in Concord.
Bringing the helicopter from the Charlotte Douglas Airport is part of the expansion in services to the north by Carolinas HealthCare Systems. CMC -NorthEast recently broke ground on a 24-hour freestanding emergency department in Kannapolis.
“It's part of a long term effort for us to disperse our assets and get them to where people need it,” Phil Whitesell, director of marketing and public information for Carolinas Healthcare System said. “It's an indication of the growth of CMC-NortEast. The fact that it is a trauma center, we draw a lot of patients from Rowan County and Cabarrus County. They sometime need to be transported by air.”
The EC-135 helicopter can transport up to two patients on stretchers along two medical personnel and a pilot. The medical crew is made up of registered nurses and respiratory therapists.
“CMC-NorthEast is a designated level three trauma center, and they are seeing an increasingly higher number of patients that need trauma care,” Whitesell said.
Flights are mostly on-scene calls, and EMS are often the first responders, according to Robyn Neely. Neely is the chief flight nurse for the crew. She has worked on helicopter response for more than 12 years.
“If EMS determines they need a higher level of care or a helicopter, then EMS calls us. Then we also get calls directly to get patients from one hospital to another,” Neely said.
All the team members are cross-trained as paramedics.
“Our philosophy is that there are already paramedics at the scene. We are bringing to them a specialty that isn't there,” Neely said.
A total of four helicopters are stationed throughout the region, from Rock Hill to Concord. Each helicopter covers a radius of 150 miles and operates around the clock.
Response time is significantly reduced, which can benefit a heart patient or stroke victim.
“Having an air transport closer to this area is another component of the trauma services provided at CMC-NorthEast for patients who are critically ill or injured,” Phyllis Wingate- Jones, president at CMC-NorthEast said. “And having specially-trained flight crews means that treatment can begin as soon as the patient is on board.”
Neely talked about the safety of the program.
“Knock on wood, we have had a very safe program since we have been in operation,” she said. “We take safety seriously.”
Nurses and respiratory therapists who care for patients on MedCenter Air flights are required to have at least three years of critical care or emergency department experience at a major hospital. Flight crews and equipment are certified by the State of North Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services.
“Our pilots are highly trained, and we require significant hours of experience. More than just the minimum,” Neely said.
Contact reporter Robin L. Gardner; 704-789-9140.
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