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Tag: Air Evac Lifeteam

Dakota Shadwell

Written by Aaron Director on . Posted in Uncategorized.

When a premature baby, born at 27 weeks’ gestation, was in respiratory distress, Dakota Shadwell’s expertise and training on the Bubble CPAP helped save the infant’s life.

It happened when Dakota and his partner, Kelly Hamill, were called to help a patient who had been taken to a local emergency department in a rural area that did not specialize in obstetric or neonatal care.

Once there, Dakota and Kelly delivered excellent patient care to not just one, but two patients—the mother and her baby—until additional specialty help arrived. The baby, who weighed just two pounds, would go on to receive additional care from a ground pediatric specialty team while Dakota and Kelly transported the mother by air to another regional health facility.

Kelly Hamill

Written by Aaron Director on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Kelly Hamill is being honored for her impressive ability to pivot the focus of her care and successfully utilize her training on a new lifesaving technology for infants.

Kelly’s dedication and flexibility were recently demonstrated when she and her partner were dispatched to a rural hospital for what they thought was a call for a mobile EMS response for an adult female transport. However, they ended up providing care and resuscitating a baby as well.

Kelly and her partner, Dakota Shadwell, worked together to stabilize both the mother and the baby, who was born prematurely at 27 weeks’ gestation and weighed only two pounds. They utilized Bubble CPAP technology designed specifically for such small and fragile patients. Their skillful employment of this new advanced system allowed the baby to go from a distressed respiratory condition to a stable one.

The pair then continued to treat the baby, increasing blood glucose, attempting UVC, and obtaining peripheral IV access. They stayed with the baby until a ground pediatric specialty team arrived, then transported the mother by air to another regional hospital.

Ian Carroll

Written by Aaron Director on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Ian Carroll is being honored for his bravery and skill in two separate situations—one involving a patient whose vehicle fell into a river and another involving a patient injured in a mining truck accident.

The first incident happened when Ian was off duty, sitting in his car at an intersection. That is when he saw another vehicle run through that same intersection and into the nearby river. Ian quickly left his car, jumped into the river, and pulled the driver out of the sinking vehicle and onto the shore. He then stabilized the patient as more help arrived.

In the other situation, Ian entered a crashed haul vehicle and administered blood products to an injured driver whose leg was bleeding profusely. While fire personnel worked to extricate the individual from the truck, Ian realized more blood was needed, so he called for another AEL aircraft to deliver additional supplies. That decision was a critical factor in helping save both the patient’s leg and life.

Lauryn Allgood

Written by Aaron Director on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Lauryn Allgood is being honored as a Star of Life for her contributions to quality improvement across her organization. Lauryn’s Quality Enhancement Program Director marked her as a standout contributor when Lauryn joined a committee tasked with mitigating or eliminating risk. When that leader moved into a new position, she transitioned Lauryn to lead the committee and continue the project to completion.

Lauryn accepted the challenge evincing an ingrained desire to lead and an innate knack for being a leader. She impressed her colleagues with her ability to learn, think critically, problem-solve, and—most importantly—ask the right questions. By the time Lauryn had completed the companywide project, her efforts had impacted every single flight crew member in the Air Evac organization. She has helped foster a culture of continuous improvement that is not limited to improving patient care but touches all areas of operations and all people.

Lauryn is a skilled clinician who holds a Master’s degree in Nursing and is committed to providing care at a moment’s notice. This makes her service outside the designated scope of a flight nurse all the more noteworthy. She reflects the best values of the company and is an asset on the job and off.

Bryanna Johnson

Written by Aaron Director on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Bryanna Johnson is being honored for her role in extinguishing a fire in an aircraft, pre-flight. Although she suffered burns to her hands, Bryanna’s heroic act helped save both a patient and a Paramedic. The incident happened as the aircraft was preparing to lift from a hospital. Bryanna realized that her partner’s flight suit had caught fire and acted quickly. She pulled her partner from the aircraft, while also protecting the pilot and patient onboard, triaged the situation, and rendered care to her crew member. Bryanna then requested additional ground and air resources for the scene and collaborated with the pilot and hospital staff to ensure everyone was cared for promptly. Her professionalism and focus during this unexpected and chaotic event are hailed as the reason the situation ended well.

Those who know her well say they are not surprised by Bryanna’s cool and collected demeanor in an emergency situation. Her dedication and commitment to the field of air medicine has allowed her to care for more than 750 patients. 

 

Lance Blythe

Written by Aaron Director on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Lance Blythe is being honored as a Star of Life for providing critical care to a four-year-old gunshot victim while also guiding a new nurse during the transport.  The toddler had been shot in the abdomen and had lost a lot of blood. Lance not only performed his duties with calm and precision but also provided leadership and guidance to the nurse, who, along with Lance, had to effectively manage an entire supply of blood and plasma. Once the hospital was selected, Lance instructed the pilot to communicate with the OCC (Operational Control Center) and CENCOM that a surgical team needed to be prepped for the incoming patient. Then, to add another layer of complication, the flight hit a few patches of turbulence caused by extreme winds. Through it all, Lance remained composed, fulfilling his duties and helping others at the same time.

In the end, the transport was a success. Lance’s direction saved the life of a little boy. Lance is a humble hero whose skill, talent, and experience represent the best of EMS.