Hazleton MedEvac Helicopter Busiest in Region
April 06--It wasn't even lunchtime Wednesday when the local MedEvac crew was returning from its third medical call of the day.
Based at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton, the helicopter is the busiest of four MedEvacs that serve the region.
"It averages about 40 to 50 calls per month," said Paul F. Giannini, the business development and outreach coordinator for Lehigh Valley Health Network's fleet of MedEvac helicopters and ambulances.
Other MedEvac helicopters -- all essentially mobile intensive care units -- are based in Kutztown, East Stroudsburg and Pottsville, and answer an average of 20 to 30 calls per month each, he said.
The Hazleton MedEvac's third call of the morning took its three-member crew and a patient to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Allentown.
Giannini said that half the calls answered by MedEvac are to transport patients from a network or non-network hospital to a facility with advanced medical capabilities, such as the network's trauma center, stroke center or burn center.
"The other 50 percent are scene runs, where our local ambulance service will get a call for a trauma patient or medical patient that needs transport to a tertiary care center right away," he said.
In those cases, time is of the essence.
Using a helicopter -- instead of ground transport to the Lehigh Valley -- means almost a 60-minute difference in travel time. Flights last about 20 minutes, Giannini said.
"That's a big benefit of the helicopter, when someone needs to get to critical care quickly -- that's what we're here for," Giannini said.
MedEvacs are typically off the ground within 10 minutes of a dispatch call. On board, a nurse and paramedic administer critical care similar to what is available in an emergency room.
Despite their capabilities, Giannini said that the helicopters are "relatively small." There isn't room to stand, and patients are strapped to a stretcher that fits snugly in the rear of the aircraft.
The compact design, he said, allows for fuel efficiency and speed. MedEvacs use a gallon of fuel per minute and can typically fly for a few hours. Average cruising speeds clock in at 120 miles per hour, Giannini said.
The small craft can also land just about anywhere.
"As long as it measures 100 feet by 100 feet," he said.
Pilots rely on the eyes and ears of local emergency responders to land on highways, in fields or in other areas.
"We do a lot of training with the local fire companies. Any time we're not landing on an FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)-licensed helipad, we like to have the fire companies come out," he said.
Emergency responders learn how to prepare landing zones and scan the scene for obstacles such as wires, trees or unsecured objects that can be lifted by drafts created by the aircraft.
Larie Wilson, one of the four pilots who work from the Hazleton base, said he also relies on night vision goggles to make after-dark flights.
"They allow us to see in the dark a lot better than going out unaided," he said.
Like all MedEvac pilots, Wilson is employed by network partner, Colorado-based Air Methods Corp., which also owns the helicopters. Wilson has been flying for 30 years, including a combined 27 years with the Army and the Army National Guard.
After each flight, Wilson circles the craft to make sure nothing is out of line. He does a similar check prior to every flight. He must also monitor weather conditions to ensure that flights can be completed safely. If not, other means of transportation are summoned.
Despite the responsibilities, he said, the network-employed medical crew deserves the most credit.
"You have the nurse and the paramedic in the back," he said. "They're the ones treating the patients. They're the ones with high qualifications who are really have the more stressful job."
"It is a lot of training," Giannini added. "It takes a lot to do this."
The Hazleton-based MedEvac, known as Number 4, serves southern Luzerne County and parts of Carbon and Schuylkill counties. The MedEvac team also has two critical care ambulances based at Lehigh Valley Hospital's Cedar Crest and Muhlenberg locations.
jwhalen@standardspeaker.com
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