MercyOne Air Med

MercyOne Air Med is the hospital air medical program of MercyOne, a health system in Iowa. It flies critically ill and injured patients by helicopter. The aircraft are operated by Air Methods, and the program is fully accredited by CAMTS.

MercyOne Air Med offers a Maternal Transport Team. It provides specialized emergency care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout Iowa, for mothers with difficult labor. The team is especially useful in rural areas with few obstetricians or none at all.

A Neonatal Transport Team with NICU training works alongside the flight team and emergency medical technicians. Its advanced isolette includes a Hamilton T1 ventilator with nitric oxide capability. The maternal team carries an external fetal heart monitor.

The helicopters are certified for single pilot instrument flying, which allows flight in lower weather minimums. The helicopters cruise at 150 knots, or 165 mph, with twin Pratt and Whitney engines. The passenger cabin gives full body access to the patient, and it has side and rear clamshell doors and a self-contained cot.

In flight, clinicians can use a LUCAS 2 chest compression device, a Zoll X Series monitor, a Sapphire IV pump and a C-MAC video laryngoscope. The team treats multi-system trauma, spinal cord and head injuries, newborn intensive care patients, high-risk obstetric patients, cardiac and burn patients, and transplant and pediatric patients.

Team members, including nurses and paramedics, hold certifications in BLS, ACLS, PALS, NRP, TPATC, and CFRN or FP-C depending on role. MercyOne Air Med does not sell memberships. Each patient has a dedicated patient advocate who helps with billing and appeals after a flight.

Air Methods is in network with many insurers, including Medicare and Medicaid, so patients usually pay little out of pocket. Transport can be requested through a call for transport line or a medical helicopter visit form.

Services

• Air medical transport
• Scene response
• Maternal Transport Team
• Neonatal Transport Team
• Educational courses
• Landing zone and safety operations
• Medical helicopter visits
• Patient advocacy
• Call for transport
• Air Med transport request