University of Utah Health AirMed

AirMed is the air medical programme of University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a hospital programme. The site says it began on June 16, 1978, as the eighth air medical program in the United States.

Services

AirMed flies trauma, burn, medical, pediatric, newborn and high risk pregnancy patients all day and night. It also moves patients who need balloon pumps, Impella devices or ECMO. A perinatal team has a high risk OB nurse, a neonatal nurse and a respiratory therapist. Flights go to and from any health care facility.

Aircraft and bases

The site says AirMed uses five helicopters and one airplane in northern Utah and Wyoming. The main base is University of Utah Hospital. Satellite bases are in Layton, Park City, Tooele and Rock Springs, Wyoming. All bases are staffed all day and night.

Coverage area

The site says AirMed covers one of the largest areas of any flight program in the country. It often brings in patients from Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Montana and Idaho, as well as Utah.

Crew skills and training

The site says flight nurses have at least five years of critical care experience, and flight paramedics have at least five years in critical care transport or EMS. Crews train through ICU rotations, operating room intubation experience, simulation and monthly case reviews with medical control doctors. The perinatal team has an average of 17 years of experience, per the site.

Crew members hold advanced certifications such as ACLS, PALS and NRP. Flight respiratory therapists have at least two years of ICU and emergency department experience at University of Utah Health.

Facts

• Run by University of Utah Health, which has a Level I trauma center.
• Crews are usually a flight nurse and a flight paramedic, sometimes with a respiratory therapist.
• Aircraft carry night vision goggles, GPS and terrain warning systems, per the site.