Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/356141
t m c » p u l s e | a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 18 t m c » p u l s e | a u g u s t 2 0 1 4 They carefully monitor weather, environmental conditions, and mainte- nance of the equipment, and are given the final word on whether their crew can safely respond to a call. A nurse and paramedic make up the medical team aboard each flight, working together to deliver the best possible care for their patients. All of the program's medical personnel are licensed paramedics, while the flight nurses are also registered nurses. Beyond the flight crew, the Life Flight staff includes mechanics, dispatchers and administrators. The team dynamic is as important as the training and skill, since each member of the crew plays an essen- tial role in patient transportation and care. Memorial Hermann-TMC Chief Operating Officer Tom Flanagan knows firsthand the value of having a confident, capable crew. Flanagan previously served as a Life Flight nurse for 21 years. "The crew functions as a trio. It is a team effort. They are so interdepen- dent. Once they get in that aircraft, their lives are dependent upon each other," said Flanagan. "All have to be on their game, all the time. The pilot, the nurse, the paramedic, dispatch, the mechanic. They are rescuing people that have endured severe trauma, or are suffering from severe medical issues. We are talking from premature babies, all the way through geriatrics. "It's a high stress, very highly visible role. You've got to be able to manage all of those emotions," he said. "And with that understanding, they become very close in their professional working rela- tionship because of what they endure every day." For the case of a traumatic accident or injury, the Life Flight crew also relies on first responders to make a lot of the preliminary decisions in patient care. Once the first responders determine that an air ambulance is needed to quickly transport a patient to the hospi- tal, they place a call to the dispatch cen- ter, which then determines the closest available crew to respond. Memorial Hermann works closely with EMS from all over the greater Houston area, police officers and fire- fighters to ensure that the ground crew at a scene is prepared to relay critical information to the aircrew, and is famil- iar with how to secure a safe landing zone at the scene of an waccident or incident. "We would not have seen the success that we have had for 38 years if it hadn't been for the EMS and law enforcement in the community, because it really starts with them," said Flanagan. "They are the first respond- ers, and so they have to make some crit- ical decisions in a pretty short period of time. Does the patient need to go to a Level 1 trauma center? How close is the closest Level 1? How critical is the patient? How quickly do we need to get them there? Hence, do we need to uti- lize the helicopter? So we have always had to work very closely with EMS and law enforcement." The goal for all is to get trauma patients back to a trauma center within an hour of their initial injury. This golden hour is believed to be the amount of time within which a patient should receive care in order to have the greatest chance of survival. Beyond allowing the crew to bypass Houston traffic to get patients to the the crew functions as a trio. it is a team effort […] All have to be on their game, all the time—the pilot, the nurse, the paramedic, dispatch, the mechanic. they are rescuing people that have endured severe trauma, or are suffering from severe medical issues. we are talking from premature babies, all the way through geriatrics. — toM flAnAGAn Memorial Hermann-tMC Chief operating officer