YLW Connection - Spring 2009 - (Page 22)

BC Air Ambulance Service Teamwork at its finest | BY WARRE N BROCK W hile most people aren’t aware of their existence until themselves or someone close requires their help, this team of dedicated professionals provides an essential medical service for the entire province of British Columbia. The BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) Air Ambulance program provides critical transportation links between hospitals and referral centres for patients requiring a higher level of care. The Air Ambulance program employs highly skilled, specially trained emergency medical personnel including Advanced Care Paramedics specializing in Adult Critical Care and Child and Maternal Critical Care. Additionally, they contract the services of aviation companies who supply aircraft, pilots and aircraft engineers for these life saving missions. The pilots who are highly experienced, fly both day and night in varying and challenging weather conditions. “The Air Ambulance program was developed to maximize the availability of specialized physicians and treatment centres by efficiently moving patients throughout the province,” says Kelowna Airevac Unit Chief Grant LeBlanc. BCAS currently operates 3 flight centres with one located at Kelowna International Airport (YLW) and the others in Vancouver and Prince George. The BCAS fleet consists of 6 fixed wing planes (2 turboprops and 1 jet based in Vancouver, 2 turboprops based at YLW and 1 turboprop based in Prince George), and 3 helicopters (2 based in Vancouver and 1 in Prince Rupert). BCAS also utilizes approximately 40 charter carriers across BC. The BCAS Air Ambulance program is operated on a 24/7/365 basis with its operations centre known as the Provincial Air Ambulance Coordination Center (PAACC) located in Victoria. Last year, the PAACC received 8,673 calls for air ambulance service and coordinated the entire fleet of air ambulance transport teams that flew an amazing 2,507,497 fixed wing miles and 2,421 rotary hours. The program is the second busiest in North America and one of the busiest programs in the world. Once a call comes into the command centre, the dispatcher sets in motion a well-coordinated action plan to ensure each case is handled in the most safe and effective manner. The sheer number of players and factors involved in each transport can be daunting, but the level of teamwork between the BCAS, BC Health Authorities, air service providers, hospitals, and airports is next to none. The BCAS upholds the highest quality control protocols and procedures to ensure each patient receives the utmost care. To give you an example, here is a brief overview of the steps and players involved in a routine BCAS Air Ambulance transport: 1 • Call or fax received by the PAACC, the coordination centre. 2 • PAACC consults two Transport Advisory groups: the Non Critical Care group determines the priority of the call and the Critical Care group develops a patient care plan, in conjunction with the transport team including any pertinent transport instructions for the team and applicable medications. 3 • BC Bedline, a provincial bed management system, determines the availability of beds at a referral hospital/centre and secures a bed and receiving physician for the patient. 4 • At the same time, PAACC contacts the pilot and paramedical groups separately to 22 WWW.YLW.AERO http://WWW.YLW.AERO

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of YLW Connection - Spring 2009

YLW Connection - Spring 2009
Contents
Airport Services
YLW Well Prepared for the Challenges of a Turbulent Economy
Connect with Calgary
Bird and Wildlife Management at YLW
Horizon Air - How Ambitious is Your Travel Check List?
YLW Supports the Environment
Alternate Transportation Initiatives
Destination Osoyoos
Celebrating 10 Years!
Spring Wine Festival Kicks Off - See You at the Finish Line
BC Air Ambulance Service - Teamwork at its Finest
Lake City Casinos Newest Casino in Vernon Aims to Exceed Expectations
Black & McDonald - Striving for Excellence in Customer Service
YLW News
Trivia & Games

YLW Connection - Spring 2009

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