— from Chris Martin
Executive Director, Airlift Northwest
Jim Cole
Chief, San Juan Island EMS and MedEvac
Michael Sullivan, M.D.
Medical Program Director, San Juan County EMS and Trauma Council
Nancy Steiger
PeaceHealth
NW Network CEO & Chief Mission Officer —
Helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft? Island Air Ambulance or Airlift Northwest? Much has been written in the last six months about the differences between the two air medical transport services. The bottom line: Both companies provide safe, effective and essential air transport service. San Juan County residents benefit from having both complementary services available.
When a person in San Juan County is injured or becomes critically ill and requires a higher level of care than is available locally, medical professionals on the ground use Washington State protocols to determine the most appropriate transportation option. Do patient needs demand direct transportation from the scene to a hospital? A helicopter is likely the best option. If the patient’s needs are less time-sensitive, then airport-to-airport via a fixed-wing aircraft might make the most sense.
Put simply, the means of air medical transport is based on the needs of the patient first and foremost. Patient and crew safety, medical expediency and necessity are the primary factors considered. The decision is never based on financial issues or business concerns.
Collaboration between Island Air Ambulance and Airlift Northwest is essential, and we are committed to keep the communication lines open and to work together to ensure that island residents understand that our respective standards of safety, expediency and high quality care are consistent and appropriately applied.
The residents of San Juan County deserve no less.
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I agree completely with the above letter. Having two emergency transport services can only be a good thing. However, the letter blatantly omits the issue of transport insurance, and because protocol does not take into consideration which insurance coverage a person has, residents (other than SJI residence who are cover through their tax system, which is how medEvac was born) are forced to buy both insurances to guarantee not to be burdened with a 10K to 20K transport bill. This is completely unacceptable, if not an illegal force of hand. It appears the two companies have not come any closer to a solution to this issue, leaving the rest of us hanging out to dry. Personally, my husband and support airlift northwest, as they were here first. The development by SJI emergency services of medEvac is what created this monster sitting on the couch.
Bravo! Most promising message I’ve seen in a public medium in a long long time.
I don’t remember there ever being an issue over Fixed Wing or Helicopter. Must have dozed off there for a little bit. Issue I remember was why, if you don’t live on San Juan Island, do you have to pay for membership in MedEvac and Airlift Northwest both to ensure reimbursement of charges. Your message may have the answer for that when you say that “Washington State protocols determine the most appropriate transportation option” I thought that my doctor, if he is available, or Dr.Sullivan along with me if I am able, or my designee if I’m not, would make that decision – all subject of course to weather and aircraft availibility.
Can both entities give the public the details
and differences of their coverage.
Who makes the decision as to which outfit
is chosen ?
I thought that the information that was
given last year was really promoting the
San Juan fixed wing outfit over Airlift
which had been the only one available in the past.
Let’s get a clear message !
Going through this process once and not wanting to revisit it again (hopeful thinking), I’m with Charlie on this one. MY physician, if available, and myself should have the choice as to transport. I pay for the airlift service and I want that service used. If lesser transport is more conducive to the situation, then my own choice (as it was) would be the ferry. And in the flying world the last decision is made by the pilot and Mother Nature. We, as members, should be able to use the transport of choice and not wake up to an additional hefty transport bill. I’m sure both services are adept at their transport but I want the choice to use who I support.
Editor’s note:
for clarification, please go to https://theorcasonian.com/medical-evacuation-re-defined-and-clarified, first posted last November, and reposted today upon request.
What happens if a patient has been “assigned” to an Island Air MedEvac fixed wing plane, and in-flight the patient’s conditions worsens, requiring the equipment and quicker access time to the hospital that ALNW provides. To us, the choice of taking such a risk should be up to the patient (or designee), after being fully informed of the situation by the emergency response team.
Further, a fixed-wing plane must use established airports, none of which are immediately adjacent to hospital facilities. Indeed, in some cases, a half-hour ambulance trip might be added to the MedEvac flight. On the other hand, ALNW helicopters land within yards of all hospitals.
Personally, and for our family, we are not willing to take those risks, and therefore, ALNW will remain our first choice because of it’s superior capacity for speedy care. We also feel that it is of critical importance that ALNW be able to continue to serve Orcas Island and the San Juans.
It is always good to have a backup. But Airlift with its superior service should be our main resource. What this letter does not address is the drop off of flights for Airlift since Dr. Sullivan and his conflicts of interest, because of his relationship to the fixed wing company, have been in charge of the dispatch function. Airlift was designed as a non profit to exist on insurance payments and not rely on a government subsidy (as does the fixed wing alternative). They need the flights to keep going, but those flights have decreased substantially. Airlift have served the Islands well, and its financial well being should not subject to the interests of Friday Harbor businesses.