Air ambulance service expands in Rowan

By Tonia Noe-Rose - Staff Writer

Getting patients to appropriate health care facilities in a timely manner is what Air Methods Kentucky is all about.

Housed at the Kentucky Christian University campus in Grayson, Air Methods is the world’s largest air ambulance provider and offers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year service with four rotating shifts that each consists of one nurse, one paramedic and a pilot.

The aircraft includes 10 helicopters across the state, with one at KCU, one fixed-wing airplane (Beech King Air B-200) at the Bowman Field in Louisville and also a backup plane, said Bryant Shumate, Air Methods area operations director.

The company is owned and operated by Air Methods and operates in affiliation with King’s Daughters Medical Center and the Yancey School of Nursing at KCU.

With an eight-county response, the transport system covers Rowan, Carter, Elliott, Morgan, Lewis, Lawrence, Boyd, and Greenup counties.

“We each work 24 hours and then off 72 hours,” said Tina Toler, registered nurse with the program.

Air Methods is a full-service air medical transport system based throughout Kentucky and southern Indiana.

Through a strong fixed-wing program, the team is able to meet the specialized needs of patients that require air transport.

The aircrafts include state-of-the-art technology and a strong performance record, Shumate said. The planes cruise at approximately 220 miles per hour and are serviceable up to 800 miles.

The flight team includes five RN flight nurses, four paramedics and four pilots.

The nurses all have an average of 14 years experience in critical care and required to be certified in CFRN (Certification Flight Registered Nurse). The paramedics also have an average of 14 years experience and are required to obtain national certification as FP-C (Certified Flight Paramedics).

“I worked in a hospital for 10 years, but this is certainly more challenging, and that’s why I chose to be a flight nurse,” Toler said when asked why she chose to become flight nurse.

Each pilot has a minimum of 2,500 hours of airplane pilot-in-command experience and 500 hours of multi-engine experience. In addition, all pilots are instrument-rated and receive initial and recurrent flight ground training.

“We also offer training to local EMS and hospitals staff that is no cost to them. That’s part of our community service, said Flight Paramedic Chad Binion.

Likewise, Binion said the crew offers landing zone classes to local fire departments, as well.

The cost of a single fight on Air Methods Kentucky varies according to the length of each mission and specific care needs. Shumate said if a flight is considered necessary, most insurance generally covers a portion of the cost. “We will assist in providing payment alternatives to meet individual needs,” he added.

During an open house on the KCU campus, students Justin Hicks (nursing program) and Ryan Duncan (preaching major) stopped by to meet the Air Methods flight crew and administrative personnel.

“It’s nice to have something likes this here in the county,” Hicks said. “It’s most interesting to me because I want to become a flight nurse someday.”

The Air Methods Kentucky flight crew includes: David Vaught, RN flight nurse; Tina Toler, RN flight nurse; Katy Sebastian, RN flight nurse, Chad Binion, flight paramedic; Scott Crum, RN flight nurse; Joe Hill, medical manager; Kevin Callihan, flight paramedic; Diana Gullet, RN flight nurse; Matt Holley, flight paramedic; David Newton, flight paramedic, mechanic Randy Miller and pilots Mike Ojeda, Greg Long Ty Fletcher and Dean Woods.

David R. Williams serves as program development manager, and John Hultgren also is program development manager with media relations.

For more information about Air Methods Kentucky call 859-685-7403.

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