The Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) is proud to announce its 2011 Community Awards recipients. Each year, these national awards are presented to individuals and organizations that exemplify the best of the air-medical and critical-care-ground transport community. This year’s recipients were honored at the special awards dinner on October 17, 2011 during the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) held in St. Louis, MO.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Transport Team received the 2011 Neonatal & Pediatric Transport Award of Excellence during this year’s conference. Sponsored by Airborne Life Support Systems, this award recognizes an individual or team that has made a significant contribution to the overall enhancement, development, leadership and/or promotion of neonatal and pediatric patient care, education, research or safety in the medical transport setting.
The Transport Team at Nationwide Children’s uses a variety of modes of transportation: ground, using mobile intensive care units (MICU); rotor wing, including helicopter transport through a cooperative agreement with MedFlight of Ohio and a fixed wing aircraft through cooperative agreements with Airmed International and MedCenter Air. The medical transport crew members are cross-trained to provide all of the skills and procedures necessary to being a top-notch Transport Team. In addition to their transportation responsibilities, the team also actively contributes to clinical research. As a result, a life-saving protocol was developed to initiate early head cooling for infants with a hypoxic cerebral injury. The team has also implemented several programs which have helped earn this recognition:
- Flight safety officer program
- Ground safety awareness program, includes a risk assessment system for MICU transports which provides crews with a tool to aid in decision making when faced with adverse situations
- Neosessities, teaching initial care procedures for critically-ill neonates
The other 2011 Community Award categories and award recipients include:
2011 Program of the Year Award, sponsored by American Eurocopter – LIFE STAR/Hartford Hospital in Hartford, CT.
2011 Marriott-Carlson Leadership Award, sponsored by Bell Helicopter, A Textron Company – Sandra Kinkade Hutton, RN, MSN, MBA from Kinkade International in Solana Beach, CA.
2011 Barbara A. Hess Research & Education Award, sponsored by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation – Russell MacDonald, MD, MPH, FRCPC from ORNGE Transport Medicine in Mississauga, Ontario.
2011 Jim Charlson Aviation Safety Award, sponsored by American Eurocopter – Kent Johnson from Intermountain Life Flight, Salt Lake City, UT.
2011 Transport Mechanic’s Award of Excellence, sponsored by AgustaWestland – Ed Haslow from Metro Life Flight in Cleveland, OH.
2011 Fixed-Wing Award of Excellence, sponsored by LifePort, Inc., A Sikorsky Aerospace Services Company – AeroCare Medical Transport in Sugar Grove, IL.
2011 Critical Care Ground Award of Excellence, sponsored by Sponsored by American Emergency Vehicles and Northwestern Emergency Vehicles – Sunstar Paramedics Critical Care Transport in Largo, FL.
About the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS):
The Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) is the only international trade association serving the entire air and ground medical transport community. AAMS strives to enhance the medical transport industry by promoting the highest level of industry safety; promoting quality patient care; inspiring commitment to the industry’s work, causes, and viability; and providing superior service to its members. For additional information, visit the AAMS’ web site at www.aams.org.
About the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC):
The Air Medical Transport Conference is a one-stop shop for access to representatives from myriad key aviation and health-care-related organizations. In addition to AAMS, other organizers include the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association, the Air Medical Physician Association, the International Association of Critical Care & Flight Paramedics, the National Association of Air Medical Communication Specialists, and the National EMS Pilots Association.