PROGRAM PROFILE
20 Years of Service •
Elaine Waiters
THE WINGED-HEART LOGO ON THE BOLD
orange helicopter, and the program name, Flight For Life, say it all about St. Anthony Hospitals' air medical transport service. However, a great deal more lies behind this Denver-based program. In October, 1992, Flight For Life officially celebrates its 20th year of service and its distinctive position as the nation's first air medical transport program. Flight For Life has built on its historic mission of taking health care to all t h o s e in need. F r o m t h e late 1960s, the idea of creating such a program became a primary focus for E.V. Kuhlman, St. Anthony's president and executive director from 1969-86. Kuhlman had experienced first hand the terror of war and how effectively h e l i c o p t e r s saved lives in quickly transporting the wounded. He envisioned a similar type of operation in a civilian setting. "We were told it couldn't be done, but St. Anthony's has never been afraid of taking risks," said Kuhlman. T h e f~ct that the St. A n t h o n y Hospitals sit amidst mountainous, rugged terrain where rapid ground response to accident victims is very difficult, further enhanced the possibility that a successful air ambulance p r o g r a m could be f o u n d e d in Denver. Determined to examine the feasibility of the project, Kuhlman t e a m e d up with r e t i r e d military medic and Colorado r e s i d e n t J.J. Elaine Waiters is the pubfic relations coordinator for Rocky Mountain Helicopters Inc. in Provo, Utah,
For 19 years Flight For Life operated this Aerospatiale Alouette III, since replaced by a 350 B2 AStar.
"Jack" Goetzinger. Together, they set out to achieve their goal. An Uphill Struggle
The road to success was a long and difficult one. Because the idea of a hospital-based air medical transport program had never before been considered, Kuhlman and Goetzinger met with much resistance. The idea was immediately tagged as expensive, and hospital officials gave little support. However, three individuals who did see the merit of the project were Nick DiTirro, a retired detective from the D e n v e r Police Department, and St. Anthony's Dr. B o y d B i g e l o w and Dr. H e n r y Cleveland.
The Journal of Air Medical Transport ° September 1992
In 1969, when Denver was considering w h e t h e r to bid for the 1976 Winter Olympics, city leaders posed the question of how to handle emergency medical needs associated with the games. Kuhlman and his team presented a plan that used air medical services to evacuate injured athletes and spectators from remote mountain venues. Even though the citizens of Denver voted not to vie for the Olympic bid, the prospect provided Kuhlman an opportunity to showcase his thoughts on the subject of air medical transport. The dilemma of how to provide emergency medical care to everyone in the state, regardless of their isolation from hospitals, remained unresolved. 13
In 1970, St. Anthony Hospitals officials voted to construct a rooftop hehpad. This step allowed organizations such as Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic (MAST) and the Denver Police Department (which already operated helicopter transport services) to work more closely with St. Anthony Hospitals. On April 21, 1971, St. Anthony's helipad was officially dedicated. Within 22 days of the opening ceremony, it received 26 patients. New Challenges
A group of former Flight For Life flight nurses join pilot Tom Davis to celebrate 20 years of saving lives. Since its beginning in 1972, Flight For Life has transported over 37,000 patients.
Without established guidelines, Kuhlman and his team faced many obstacles characteristic of new ventures. Securing funding was a major challenge. All financial support for the project came from various hospital fund-raising activities and private sponsorship. They also had to find a helicopter that could handle Colorado's mountainous geography, high altitude, and thin air. After considering several aircraft, the Aerospatiale Alouette III was
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The Journal of Air Medical T r a n s p o r t ° S e p t e m b e r 1992
selected. This was the same type of helicopter that provided excellent service for a similar air medical program in the Swiss Alps, boasting admirable performance statistics. Next, a staff for the air medical e m e r g e n c y r o o m n e e d e d to be selected. Dr. Bigelow, director of Intensive Care Services, was responsible for this task. He created a special training p r o g r a m for St. Anthony's nurses that focused on expanding their lifesaving criticalcare skills. On Oct. 12, 1972, s o m e eight years after E.V. Kuhlman first conside r e d the project, Flight For Life began service. Although many policies, practices, and procedures cont i n u e d to unfold as the p r o g r a m progressed, Flight For Life completed 151 flights during its first 75 days of operation.
Setting the Standard As air medical programs began starting up at various locations in the U.S. and abroad, Flight For Life served as an operational model. It continues in this capacity today. "Over t h e y e a r s we have had numerous visits from hospital administrators and others who have studied our program," confirms Jodee Trainor, Flight For Life unit manager. "As far as foreign interest is concerned, we've talked with several
countries over the years, including a group from South Africa."
Flight For Life Today The benefit of 20 years of dedicated service is shown in today's effective configuration of the Flight For Life program. Currently operating a B2 AStar helicopter, which provides increased payload capacity and faster speed than the venerable Alouette, the program averages nearly 1,000 flights per year. Flight For Life is led by a unit manager and consists of six flight n u r s e s , four pilots, one mechanic, and one secretary. As the Flight For Life program has evolved, so too have the roles of these team positions. Flight Nurses, for example, now have the latitude to perform certain high-level lifesaving procedures without direct supervision by a physician. Also, the Flight For Life nurses teach at the Institute of E m e r g e n c y Medical Training. Further, Flight For Life m e m b e r s play an important public relations role by promoting overall community safety and by informing citizens and civic organizations of their services. Flight For Life has transported more than 37,000 critically ill and injured patients. Indeed, this prog r a m has t r a n s f o r m e d E.V. Kuhlman's vision of providing health care to all those in need into a successful reality. •
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The Journal of Air Medical Transport • September 1992
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