Another record year!

,

Conference

Report

Another Record Year! by Howard M. Collett

Robin Mendon, Chief Flight Nurse and Janet Mitchell, Program Director, christen a new AStarprovidedby Freedom HelicoptersforN.T. Enioe Memorial Hospital in Chico, CA, one o f a record-breaking 22 new hospital-helicopter programs begun in 1985. The Sixth Annual ASHBEAMS and NFNA Conference was held in Reno, Nevada during the first week of December. Reflecting the record growth over the past 12 months, the conference set records of its own - in attendance, exhibitors, and program content. A record attendance of some 850 registrants, 90 faculty members and more than 200 exhibitor representatives, for a total of over 1,140 topped last years' record by nearly 40%. Exhibitors, obviously interested in the most dynamic of aviation markets, numbered 65 - a vast improvement over the 35 present a year ago. Several events will go down in history for the Reno Conference. ASHBEAMS voted more liberal membership categories, officially recognizing at last the diversity of the aeromedical market and their need to provide a forum for each. And both ASHBEAMS and NFNA extended their hand of fellowship to a third organization, the National EMS Pilot's Association, and to a fourth in its formative stage, a national flight paramedic association.

Membership expansion Dan Reich, who will remain ASHBEAMS President for the second year of a two-year term, commented on the major accomplishments of the conference. "Our members accepted the concept and philosophy that our HOSPITALAVIATION,DECEMBERi985

organization Should fully represent all EMS aviation activities in the United States. This has been accomplished by an expansion of membership categories." In the past, ASHBEAMS has had four categories of membership: (1) Conditional (for those potential programs not yet in operation), (2) Associate (for manufacturers, operators and other vendors), (3) Personal (non-affiliated individuals), and (4) Full membership (for those hospital-sponsored programs meeting ASHBEAMS standards. The present action has expanded the "Full membership" category to include non-hospital programs, and renamed it "Provider" membership. Four separate levels of Provider membership were created, based on the level of care provided. The first is "Critical Care" in which most hospital-sponsored programs will fall. It requires hospital control and flight team staffing with a registered nurse at minimum. The next two levels are "ALS" and "BLS" which require minimum staffing of a paramedic or EMT respectively. The fourth level is "Specialty" and was created for those teams that specialize in a particular clinical specialty, such as high-risk OB or neonate. While the by-laws creating the four levels of membership have been approved by the membership, clinical standards for each have yet to be developed.

ASHBEAMS wants programs that offer these various levels of service to join the organization, and help with the development of their own standards.

Quality assurance Projecting the impact that the new membership criteria would have on the industry, Mr. Reich tied them to the goals he sees for the organization in 1986: "Safety is a major concern we have. We want to collect and evaluate data regarding what has happened, and take steps to provide a safer environment for aeromedical activities." This points to the second goal ASHBEAMS has for 1986. "We will also develop standards for levels of service, be they hospital, ALS or BLS through our Standards Committee," comments Mr. Reich. "To increase or maintain the quality assurance of all services, we desire that all non-hospital programs establish a relationship with a hospital through their ER or board. Such a relationship will serve not to control the program but to ensure a quality service which will protect the general public and the patient. This is the bottom line that ASHBEAMS has advocated for the past five years." Alluding to changes in the ASHBEAMS organization itself, Mr. Reich suggested the probability of changing the ASHBEAMS name and the structure of the board of directors to better reflect both hospital and

"We know of no other EMS helicopter with the room and access of the BK 117 Space Ship." the adult patient, to complete neonatal "We named our new BK 117 support equipment, including isolette "Pegasus." It's not only a lifesaver, it's and pediatric I.V. pump. And, there's an EMS work horse. With the medical ample oxygen for extended transport of equipment we have on board, Pegasus ventilator patients. The is actually a flying intenBucher system is also sive care unit. It lets us very easy to remove and take care of any trauma clean." situation." "As faras access goes, Operated by U.S. Jet again the BK 117 has no Aviation, Pegasus has peers. Two large rear provisions for two clamshell doors permit patients, a paramedic quick patient loading, and a nurse. It serves as even those in body or emergency transport for cerebral traction. Our critically ill or injured Mr. PhilMortensen,ProgramDirector medical personnel have patients from outlying for the Universityof VirginiaMedical Center'sPegasusAeromedicalProcomplete head-to-toe hospitals and accident gram in Charlottesville. patient access, too." scenes to the only Level "Another plus is the extra margin of 1 trauma center in central Virginia, safety from high-set main and tail rotors. "With the spaciousness of the Bucher Also, thQse powerful turbine engines get EMS interior," Mr. Mortensen says, "we Pegasus in and out of tight places at can carry all advanced life-support accident scenes and parking lots. And necessities-everything. They range we like the rugged landing skids that let from cardiac monitor and defibrillator, us touch down at rough, unimproved burn and neurological apparatus for MBB HELICOPTER CORPORATION. A subsidiary of Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Btohm GmbH.

sites. Maintenance is low, Pegasus is always ready to g o . Over 100 MBB helicolaters serve EMS duty around the world. In West Germany alone, they fly more than 25,000 missions a year, saving thousands of lives. For more information contact: MBB HelicopterCorporation 900 AirportRoad RO. Box 2349 WestChester,PA 19380 U.S.A. Telephone:[215)431-4150 Telex:902041 Messerschmitt-Bolkow-131ohm GmbH Helicopterand TransportDivision Postfach80 11 40 D-8000 Muenchen80, Germany

Conference Report non-hospital programs it hopes to represent. "It is apparent that if we don't regulate our industry, the states or the feds will regulate it for us. Therefore, we want to become the 'joint commission of accreditation' for aeromedical services." NFNA accomplishments Ford Kyes, Trauma Center Coordinator for Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA was elected President of the National Flight Nurse Association (NFNA) during the Conference, succeeding Bonnie Longino. Asked about his impressions of the Conference, Mr. Kyes stated, "It was an outstanding success. The volume of interest, the quality of educational programs and the opportunity to meet with other services was tremendous." Affiliated with NFNA in several capacities since its inception, Mr. Kyes also commented on the achievements of NFNA during 1985. "We made a change in the by-laws which will result in an increase of our membership base. In the past, members could come only from the active ranks of medical flight crews. Now, members must still be affiliated with an aeromedical program, but they may serve in an administrative or research capacity as well as an active member of the flight crew." Other achievements indicated by Mr. Kyes have been the development of flight nurse standards, which should be completed by the ASHBEAMS/NFNA Conference in 1986, and the recognition by and interface with other national nursing associations. Mr. Kyes also indicated that a number of new goals are set for completion during the next year. "St. Anthony Hospital in Denver has contracted with

More than 20 percent of hospitals with a helicopter also provide fixed-wing transport. Airlift Northwest, sponsored by five hospitals in the Seattle area, began its J'Lxed-wing service three years prior to its helicopter service, however.

Don Groenemann, (center) VP or MBB Helicopters presented the annual MBB Crew Extraordinaire Award to Las Vegas Flight for Life dispatcher Barbara Polig, flight medic Ken Riddle, pilot Denny Longman, and flight nurses Gienda Crabbe and Davette Shea for their involve ment in a 1985 accident in Laughlin NV resuiting in 1;$ critical burn victims. The event involved four ASHBEAMS flight programs plus a military and state medevac program. NFNA to develop a core curriculum for flight nurse training. This will be published and distributed by NFNA and serve as a textbook for future flight nurse training programs. And Samaritan Air Evac in Phoenix will be developing an ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) course for nurses."

ASHBEAMS board members Karl Gills, Jim Smith and Don Stamper field questions regarding the proposed role of the organization in becoming the official accreditation organization for aeromedical srvices. 6 HOSPITALAVIATION,DECEMBER 1985

Pilots and paramedics As the aeromedical industry grows, so do the organizations that wish to represent particular segments. In 1980, ASHBEAMS was incorporated. In 1981,

the National Flight Nurse Association was formed to represent the particular needs of flight nurses. In 1985, the National EMS Pilot's Association was created. In 1986, it will probably be the "National Flight Paramedic Association." A meeting of paramedics was held in conjunction with the conference. "This was the first meeting toward organization of an aeromedical paramedic association," said Dave Samuels, a flight paramedic with Air Evac in Phoenix, Arizona. "And the NFNA board of directors unanimously approved our

Conference Report efforts to start a separate organization. ASHBEAMS has also given us their blessing." The meeting was attended by some 50 paramedics at the Conference. "Close to half of all hospital-based programs operate with paramedics as a member of the flight team." said Don Haupt, a flight paramedic from Nightingale in Norfolk, Virginia. "With close to 400 paramedics in the aeromedical system, we want to develop a professional flight paramedic association by the time of the ASHBEAMS conference next year. We're currently doing a survey to identify key issues."

Mr. Haupt indicated that paramedics could join the National Flight Nurse Association, but NFNA membership prohibits voting rights for paramedics. "Flight nurses have their specific needs," continued Mr. Haupt. "With a paramedic association, all members of the flight team can be represented." Commenting on the effort to form a new flight paramedic association, NFNA President Ford Kyes stated, "We have long recognized the need for representation of flight paramedics, and NFNA has voted its full support, and will actively assist the paramedics in forming

John Wright and Mel Pollock o f Bell Helicopters present the first annual Marriott/Carlson Award to Marguerite Badger, Program Director for the original Life Flight program at Houston's Hermann Hospital for "'recognition of significant and dedicated leadership in the promotion of hospital-based helicopter emergency air medical services. ""

The M G M lion posed with a cat o f a different color, the Kontron KAAT balloon pump which was on display at the conference. $everal portable biomedical devices have recently been designed with patient transport in mind.

their organization." Dave Samuels will be Chairman of the organizational effort to form the aeromedical paramedic association. He can be reached at Air Evac, 1242 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix AZ 85006, telephone 602-239-5974. Enter Sikorsky

A total of 65 exhibitors were at the conference - nearly twice that of the year before. Among them was Sikorsky Aircraft with an S-76 in the static display area. The S-76 is a $2 million base price aircraft. But with a Vne approaching 180 mph, a range approaching 500 statute miles, a 6x8 foot cabin, and an average resale price (low time) approaching $1.5 million, Sikorsky feels that the time is approaching for those few hospitals that need a fast, long-range helicopter for patient transport. While many observers say that the S-76 is too big or too expensive, we need only to look at the same comments about the BK-117, 365N and Bell 222 just two years ago. Today, a total of 20 hospital contracts sport such craft, and 1986 will see a continued expansion in their ranks. Visitors to the exhibit hall and the flight line were able to see the latest in configuration of Aerospatiale's 365N Dauphin, and 355F1 TwinStar, Bell's LongRanger and Model 222UT, MBB's BK-117 and Agusta's Model 109. And new to the flight line were a host of turboprop airplanes, which arrived via a midnight tow from the airport one mile away. In addition to the aircraft manufacturers were dozens of helicopter operator representatives, aircraft accessory suppliers and several exhibitors of biomedical devices and products. As aeromedical programs often set the trend for ground ambulance services in the use of new equipment, many vendors see a significant marketing advantage to having their products purchased by a helicopter service. The 1986 conference moves up several weeks to provide better weather for aircraft fly-ins and attendees. It should prove to be a haunting experience, scheduled for Crystal City, Virginia (adjacent to Washington National Airport) October 30, 31 and Noveniber 1. While each aeromedical specialty (administrators, nurses, pilots, paramedics) feels a need to have a separate organization represent them, at least they all agree on one thing - a single annual conference. That conference (will it be the A S H B E A M S / N F N A / NEMSPA/NFPA ?) is scheduled for Crystal City, Virginia during halloween October 30-November 1, 1986. And as far as the traditional M ' A ' S ' H - B a s h is concerned, if you don't have a mask or an acronym, you can't get in! HOSPITAL AVIATION, DECEMBER 1985 7