New air ambulance plan expands access to critical care AHS Press Release Enhanced air ambulance model matches care and services to patient need EDMONTON - Four new critical care transport (CCT) teams will provide improved access to the highest level
New air ambulance plan expands access to critical care
AHS Press Release
Enhanced air ambulance model matches care and services to patient need
EDMONTON - Four new critical care transport (CCT) teams will provide improved access to the highest level of medevac care as part of a new provincewide air ambulance service model.
The new service model retains the best attributes of the current model, while enhancing
co-ordination of services and access to a higher level of care. Plane and helicopter medevac services in the province will change from the current three critical care and 12 advanced life support aircraft, to seven critical care and seven advanced life support aircraft. Resources have also been redistributed to better meet patient demand across the province.
CCT teams are trained to a higher level than advanced life support teams. They can manage patients with more complex medical needs, have advanced training to use complex medications based on physicians’ clinical direction, and can better stabilize critical patients for safe transport.
Currently, only STARS helicopter teams offer in-flight critical care, from bases in Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie. Under the new model, fixed wing CCT teams will serve the entire province and be strategically based in Peace River, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray and Medicine Hat.
Dr. Mark MacKenzie, Medical Director of Air Ambulance for Alberta Health Services (AHS) Emergency Medical Services (EMS), says safe, stable and controlled transport is critical for ongoing patient treatment to ensure there is no downtime in patient care - minute to minute, patients receive the care they need when they need it.
“Our priority is to provide safe, high quality and timely emergency medical services,” says Dr. MacKenzie. “By expanding the number of critical care teams, more Albertans will benefit from having access to the highest level of medevac care. We have a responsibility to provide equitable access to this level of care for all Albertans.”
Data suggests the current model is not meeting patient need and demand:
- All 12 medevac planes are available 24/7 but spend less than a third of their time responding to calls.
- Each medevac plane currently averages less than two flights per 24-hour period.
- 70 per cent of all fixed wing flights occur between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Sunday.
- More than 60 per cent of air ambulance patients across the province are stable,
non-urgent patients. - 86 per cent of non-urgent flights occur Monday to Friday, with most between 6 a.m. and
6 p.m. - Currently, only STARS provides in-flight critical care in Alberta.
The new service model will:
- Place resources where data suggests that patient need is greatest, at times of day when demand for services is highest.
- Enhance the level of care provided to critical patients through the four new CCT teams.
- Ensure air ambulance services are sustainable into the future.
Current air ambulance service provider contracts expire on Jan. 31, 2014; this has provided an opportunity to assess the current services and make improvements. A request for proposal (RFP) for fixed wing aviation and medical crew contracts was issued today. New contracts will be put in place before Feb. 1, 2014, to ensure future contracted providers have enough time to be ready to provide service. The first of the four new critical care teams will be trained and in operation by spring 2014.
The RFP does not cover helicopter medevac services; however, STARS is currently upgrading its helicopters in Calgary and Edmonton to state-of-the-art performance and safety technology. AHS has taken into account the expanded speed and reach of those helicopters, which enables a critical care response to a greater number of patients.
All Albertans will see an overall increase in service. To achieve that, four air ambulances will be relocated and one taken out of service.
“Data shows all air ambulances are already used as provincial resources, regardless of their home base,” says Dr. MacKenzie. “A plane may start its day in one location, but it will move to where the patient demand is. For example, for three of the planes being relocated, more than 70 per cent of flights are for patients from other communities.
“Providing safe, quality and timely emergency medical services has been the driving factor in developing this new model. None of this would be possible without the amazing service that medevac providers and local physicians have given to Albertans over the years; by building on that service and care, we are able to provide a higher quality of care for our critical patients.”
Since December, AHS has sought input and advice from key groups: Health Advisory Councils, AHS zone medical and administrative leadership teams, Alberta Health (Emergency Health Services), AHS Provincial Patient and Family Advisory Group, STARS, and current fixed wing air ambulance contract service providers.
AHS will continue to work with all stakeholders, including physicians that use medevac services and municipalities that currently have a medevac base within their boundaries, to hear their questions and concerns and to receive their advice on implementation of the new service model.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than 3.8 million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
