- Omniflight Charleston
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The Omniflight - Charleston Aero-Medical Program provides air ambulance services for South Carolina and portions of Georgia. The OmniFlight Charleston service was founded in 1987 in Charleston, South Carolina. Operated by Omniflight Helicopters, Inc. of Addison, Texas. The service uses a BK 117 helicopter as an air ambulance.
Contents
History
In 1987, the Medical University of South Carolina initiated the Meducare-Air program. The program utilized a BK 117 helicopter for emergency transports of Neonatal and Pediatric patients being transported to the Medical University. This service quickly expanded to also perform air ambulance operations for scene transport of adult and pediatric trauma patients. The Meducare-Air Helicopter was used for air transport of most critically ill and injured patients in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. With South Carolina’s population rapidly growing, it was evident that the program was successful. The mission of the program was, and still is to save lives and reduce injury mortality through rapid transport of patients to specialized health care facilities such as; trauma, burn, spinal cord and pediatric hospitals. The helicopter was owned by Omniflight, which provided the pilots and performed the maintenance, and the Medical University of South Carolina provided Flight Paramedic and Registered Nurse (for Adult or scene calls) and the Registered Nurse and Respiratory Therapist (for Neonatal and Pediatric inter-facility transports). 2
On March 1, 2001, the staff of the Adult Team was hired by Omniflight. The Pediatric Team members continued to fly, however were employed by the Medical University of South Carolina. The Pediatric Team was granted permission to continue to fly after a contract of agreement was signed between the two entities. The name Medicare-Air was maintained by Omniflight, because of local name recognition. However, in early 2009, OmniFlight decided to distance itself from the Meducare-Air name, and now is identified as OmniFlight Charleston. In June 2011, Omniflight Charleston severed all ties to the Medical University and moved the Communications Center to an Omniflight Communications Center in Atlanta.
The aircraft is available to respond and provide emergency services to all municipalities and hospitals throughout South Carolina and certain sections of Georgia.
General information
The OmniFlight Charleston helicopter is situated on the site of the former Charleston Naval Base in South Carolina, in North Charleston, South Carolina. This site is also the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). The facility is not open to the public without prior permission.
Inter-facility/Emergency Scene Requests
The helicopter is staffed with one pilot, one Registered Nurse (RN) and one Paramedic. The RN's and paramedics are OmniFlight employees. The team is also highly trained in Pediatric patients, and can transport them if the need arises.
Medical Control
OmniFlight Charleston gives a report to the receiving hospital Emergency Department or Acute Care Unit. They can obtain medical control decisions from receiving physicians. However, they work from a very in-depth, aggressive protocol/standing orders.
The Medical Director for the local OmniFlight operation is Larry Raney, an Emergency Medicine Physician at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Communications Center
The OmniFlight Charleston Communications are handled by a call center located in Atlanta, Georgia. The Communications Specialists are trained Air Medical Communications Specialists. Communication Specialists face daily challenges and additional responsibility as air medical transport systems expand and change; the OmniFlight Charleston Communications Specialists adapt and perform professionally.
How Omniflight Charleston is dispatched
Local EMS providers or Referring Hospitals contact the OmniFlight Communications Center. The Communications Specialists plot the information, submit it to OmniFlight in Addison, Texas. The pilot and medical crew are alerted and check weather conditions. The pilot determines whether he can safely and efficiently complete the flight. This decision is also made by a specialist in Addison, Texas. If the decision is made to complete the transport, the helicopter is confirmed by radio and prepares for take-off. The helicopter, as well as each crew member have portable radios for communication. These radios are used to communicate with the Dispatch Center, Police, and Fire-Rescue Paramedics already on scene. Most often, they are used to get patient/stability information from Paramedics on the ground, before they arrive. Once the patient is on board, the crew will change their radio channel to the hospitals radio channel, to which they are transporting.
Gallery
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Logo of the Children's Hospital at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). The Pediatric Team utilizes the Omniflight Charleston Helicopter.
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Omniflight Charleston lifting off for a scene request.
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The OmniFlight Charleston Helicopter arrives at the trauma center at The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
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Omniflight Charleston crew moving from Colleton County ambulance to the helicopter. Omniflight works closely with many County EMS providers.
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The OmniFlight Charleston Helicopter with crew loading the patient. Local County Paramedics aid in the loading process.
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The OmniFlight Charleston Helicopter with crew moving the patient to the Medical University of South Carolina helipad. Patient to be moved to Augusta Burn Center. The helicopter is a spare OmniFlight helicopter used when the primary is down for maintenance.
See also
References
2: http://www.musc.edu/catalyst/archive/2001/co6-8meducare.htm
1: http://www.musc.edu/meducare-peds/index.html
External links
Categories:- Air ambulance services in the United States
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