On Christmas Eve, MedFlight911 air ambulance lost one of our very special patients to lung cancer. Stephanie Deasy was a 41-year-old mother of two who had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in the summer of 2010. Stephanie worked as a personal trainer and was active, fit, and otherwise healthy, and had never smoked in her life. Her cancer was an extremely rare type that strikes women in their forties with no history of smoking. At the time of her diagnosis, doctors gave Stephanie just six weeks to live.

Stephanie, who already had a strong commitment to natural healing and alternative therapies, didn’t accept her doctor’s prognosis.

“I was in complete denial,” Stephanie said in a video where she discussed her diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Her oncologist told her that surgery and radiation weren’t options, and that chemotherapy would be grueling.

Rather than submit immediately to a harsh round of chemotherapy, Stephanie decided to try an alternative approach – medical tourism. She knew of a treatment center in Mexico, and she opted to go there to get the kind of holistic care that she didn’t believe she could get in the United States. “I called on Thursday and by Sunday I was on the airplane,” said Stephanie.

At Sanoviv, a unique facility in Mexico that combines conventional and alternative treatments, Stephanie was able to focus on her entire well being, receiving care and therapy that prepared her to face the chemotherapy that she’d receive when she returned to the United States.

Stephanie spent a month at Sanoviv. After four weeks, it was time for her to return to her family in Virginia. That’s where MedFlight911 stepped in. Stephanie crossed the border from Tijuana to San Diego, which is where our air ambulance team met her. At the time, her prognosis was still poor. Our medical crew helped care for her on the cross-country journey. Stephanie and her entire family were grateful for the sensitive, hands-on care she received during that long distance air ambulance trip, and they kept in touch with us after she returned home and updated us on her health and progress.

At home, Stephanie made an amazing turnaround and survived for another 18 months – far longer than her doctors in the U.S. predicted. She was even able to return to Sanoviv and share her story of healing with the medical tourism facility’s staff and doctors, as well as other patients. At a time when more and more people are looking outside the United States for medical care and alternative treatments that aren’t yet available in this country – medical tourism – Stephanie’s story is truly an inspiring one.

Stephanie’s illness was serious and ultimately, she lost her battle with lung cancer, passing away on Christmas Eve, 2012. We were deeply saddened to here of her death, but at the same thankful that we were able to get to know this amazing woman, who fought such a hard battle against her disease with grace and wisdom.

I encourage you to watch Stephanie share her heart-wrenching and inspiring story on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2C81498449C55471

To find out more about MedFlight911′s air medical transport services, give us a call at 888-359-1911 or get a no-obligation air ambulance quote here.

While working with case managers to arrange air medical transport, the single most common question we receive is “Will transportation be covered by my client’s insurance?” In an ideal world, every single transport would be covered by insurance. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Sometimes, patients’ requests for air medical transport are denied by insurance companies. This denial can be confusing, stressful, and heartbreaking.

However, even if air medical transport is not specifically covered by your patient’s insurance, we can still help. At MedFlight911, our primary goal is to find the most cost-effective and safe method to get your patient to his or her destination. We will go through every possible option to get your client the care they need. Steps we commonly take include:

Contacting the insurance company
Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Our team will contact the patient’s insurance company and work with them to get air ambulance transport covered. This does not always work, but we have a good track record, particularly when we’re working alongside case managers and other patient advocates. We’ve written here in the blog, in fact, stories of finally breaking through and getting insurance coverage for a patient (as with Sophie’s mommy).

Tailor options to make the most affordable plan
Our patients’ needs are our primary focus. We will consider all possible transport options and determine which is the most cost effective and safe. Since we offer a range of medical transport services – from medical motor coach to commercial air medical escorts to critical care transport ambulances – we can offer the best fit for a patient’s needs, including medical condition and budget.

Provide a clear estimate for cost services
We pride ourselves on transparency and honesty. We will provide you and your client with a quote without any hidden fees or surcharges. Changes can happen. If they do occur, we will explain the change to you and discuss other available options.

We understand that neither case managers nor patients and their families are in a position to comparison shop for an air medical transport provider as they would for a car or television. You’re busy, and your patients and their families are likely scared, confused, and stressed. They need emotional support in addition to medical transport. That is why we pride ourselves on not merely being an air ambulance service provider. Our clients are not just consumers. At MedFlight911, we strive to go above and beyond to make the process simple, easy, and worry-free while acting as a care partner and a patient advocate. It is not simply about getting business; it is about demonstrating compassion and respect to every patient.

To find out more about MedFlight911′s range of medical transport services give us a call at 888-359-1911 or get a no-obligation medical transport quote here.

Our flight nurses play a critical role at MedFlight911 air ambulance. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to provide the high level of care for our patients that we do. How are they able to handle such a tough job? A lot has to do with the rigorous training they (along with the rest of our medical flight crew) receive to prepare them to care for patients in the unique air ambulance environment.

Flight nurses must be adaptable (since they deal with so many different types of patients) and comfortable making decisions on a moment’s notice (since an air ambulance patient’s condition may change rapidly). It’s not a career for everyone, but for those with the right mindset, it can be deeply rewarding.

So what should you do if you’re interested in becoming a flight nurse? Most flight nurses have the following training:

• Licensed as a registered nurse
• At least 3 years of experience working in a critical care, emergency, or acute nursing environment
• Certifications in Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• Completed an NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program)
• Completed a nationally recognized trauma program, such as Transport Nurse Advanced Trauma Course (TNATC), Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS), Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), or Trauma Nurse Core Curriculum (TNCC)
• Certified as a Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN), Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)

MedFlight911′s flight nurses and paramedics are required to receive similar air medical transport training and complete regular continuing education activities. That ensures that we’re able to provide the highest possible level of service to our air ambulance patients.

If you’re thinking about pursuing a career as an air ambulance flight nurse, the most important thing is to have a strong background in critical care and emergency nursing. You’ll also need to be able to care for a wide variety of patients, from infants to trauma victims to pregnant women to cardiac patients, and feel comfortable evaluating their condition and making treatment decisions on your own.

Yet at the same time, the fact is that the job of a flight nurse is not all life saving and heroics. The job also includes comforting patients and their family members, serving snacks and drinks, helping patients with basic hygiene, and other tasks that a ground ambulance paramedic might find a bit mundane (but are no less important to our mission of making the entire transport experience as seamless and stress-free as possible).

Each day on the job is different for a flight nurse, and they need to be prepared to manage whatever is thrown their way. But for those who have a desire to help people in serious situations get the healthcare they need, it can be a great career choice. Again and again, our flight nurses tell us that helping people is the most rewarding part of their job.

To find out more about MedFlight911′s air medical flight crew give us a call at 888-359-1911 or get a no-obligation air ambulance quote here.

Air medical transport is one of our specialties at MedFlight911 Air Ambulance. However, it is only one of many medical transport services we offer. And while we work closely with many families transporting a loved one, we also often work with case managers to arrange medical transport. Last month we covered some of the most commonly asked questions that we address with case managers; today we’ll focus on how we are able to tailor our services to best serve your patients’ needs.

When people think of an air ambulance, they often envision a helicopter dramatically landing on the roof of a hospital with wind blowing the waiting doctors’ hair. However, this type of emergency care is not typically arranged by a case manager – rather, emergency medical personnel at the scene of an accident call for a helicopter or ground transportation. So, if case managers are not arranging emergency care, how do they use an air ambulance company? What services does MedFlight911 provide to help case managers and their clients?

How MedFlight911 helps case managers’ clients with medical transport

Case managers are generally working with patients in non-emergency situations. These patients do not need to be transported immediately. However, they may require specialized care in another location or want to receive medical care closer to loved ones. Case managers are often faced with finding an affordable way for these patients to receive the care they need.

At MedFlight911, we pride ourselves on creating the best fit solution for our clients. We are not a one-size-fits-all company. Medical transport services can be tailored to each client’s specific needs and our primary goal is to find the most cost-effective and efficient way to get a patient to their destination safely. So, the question is – what services do we offer?

Air ambulance services
MedFlight911 offers bedside-to-bedside fixed-wing air ambulance service for patients in emergent (and non-emergent) situations. For patients who need to be transported quickly and need a high level of medical care, we recommend transport via a medically-equipped airplane with a medical crew including a critical care nurse and a critical care paramedic. With a range of different types of aircraft to choose from, with different medical configurations, we can ensure that the aircraft is equipped with the proper equipment and medical crew to take care of the patient in flight.

Air medical escort
For patients in a non-emergent situation, we also provide commercial medical escort services. In these cases, a nurse or paramedic accompanies the patient on a commercial airline. The air medical escort makes the process of traveling on a commercial airline with medical issues significantly easier. The air medical escort will accompany the patient from the departing facility to the airport, arrange transportation services at the airport, accompany the patient through the security and boarding process, provide in-flight care, and then see to it that the patient gets to their final destination.

Medical motor coach
Sometimes, air travel is neither necessary nor practical for the patient. For patients who are in stable medical condition, transport on a medical motor coach can be more comfortable and affordable than air travel. MedFlight911 provides bedside-to-bedside service – our medical crew and coach driver will met the patient at the departing facility, transfer the patient and drive to the receiving facility. Patients have more room to bring belongings, and more flexibility for stretching out or lying down while en route.

So there are a number of different types of medical transport, and they all serve different purposes. We understand that it can be confusing to know which is the right form of medical transport for your client. That’s what we’re here for; we’ll help you determine what type of transport best serves your client’s needs.

To find out more about MedFlight911’s worldwide air ambulance services, give us a call at 1-888-359-1911or get a no-obligation medical transport quote here.

Sometimes, when it comes to air medical transport, even the best-laid plans can fall through. Take a recent case we had, a commercial medical escort from New Mexico to Maryland. The patient was a young man living in Santa Fe who had been hit by a car and sustained a pretty serious head injury.

The hospital in Santa Fe was ready to discharge the man, but it was clear he still needed some time to recover and wouldn’t be able to live on his own again right away. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any family members in the immediate area. His only relatives were his estranged father, who lived out of state, and an uncle, who lived in Baltimore. The hospital staff contacted the man’s uncle, who said he’d be happy to care for his nephew as he made his recovery. But he wouldn’t be able to come to New Mexico to pick up his nephew. That’s when the hospital called us.

Though the patient didn’t have any insurance, the hospital was willing to cover all the costs of a commercial medical escort from New Mexico to Maryland. With just a couple of days until the transport, we set about organizing all the details, from booking seats on a flight from Albuquerque to Baltimore, to arranging ground transportation between the hospital in Santa Fe and airport in Albuquerque.

The commercial medical transport was scheduled for Saturday, and by Friday afternoon, everything was set. Our air medical escort would accompany the patient from Santa Fe to Baltimore, assisting him with all aspects of the journey (including helping him get through the TSA screening, since he didn’t have a driver’s license or other form of identification). Once we got to Maryland, the uncle would meet us at the airport and take over his nephew’s care.

Then, late on Friday evening, we received a call from the uncle. He wanted to let us know he wouldn’t be meeting us at the airport in Baltimore. For whatever reason, he’d decided that he wasn’t able, financially or otherwise, to take on job of caring for a sick family member.

Naturally, that decision left us in an awkward spot. We were planning on picking up a patient and flying with him to Maryland the next day, but if there was no one there to meet him, we couldn’t in good conscience just drop him at baggage claim and send him on his way. So we got in touch with the hospital right away, explaining the situation to the staff.

Ultimately, we ended up canceling that transport. The patient stayed in New Mexico and is recovering in a facility there. It was a tough situation, and it just goes to show that nothing is predicable when it comes to air medical transport. Sometimes, you have everything lined up and ready to go and it just doesn’t work out. But the important thing is that we’re prepared and ready to help if – and when – you need it.

To find out more about MedFlight911′s commercial air medical transport services give us a call at 888-359-1911 or get a no-obligation air medical escort quote here.

At MedFlight911 air ambulance, we know how difficult it can be to fly commercially if you have a medical condition. One big hurdle for travelers with medical conditions is often getting through security, especially with medication or medical supplies in their carry-on luggage. That’s one reason we offer our commercial medical escort service: it makes traveling – from check-in to arrival – less complicated and stressful.

Whether you’re traveling alone or with an air medical escort, you can avoid a stressful scene at the security checkpoint the next time you hit the airport by reviewing the following TSA guidelines on what you can carry:

• All prescription and over-the-counter medications, including petroleum jelly, eye drops, and saline if they’re used for medical purposes
• Liquids (such as liquid nutrition) for a passenger with a medical condition
• Bone marrow, blood products, and transplant organs
• Items such as prosthetic breasts and mastectomy products that contain gels or liquid
• Gels or frozen liquids used to cool medical items
• Supplemental oxygen or respiratory equipment
• Diabetes supplies, including insulin, syringes, and blood glucose meters
• Breast milk and formula

The above list isn’t comprehensive, but it gives you an idea of the kind of items that should be allowed through security screening.

Generally, if you can fit your medical items into a quart-sized plastic bag with your toiletries, you don’t have to declare them at the security checkpoint. But if you have medications or other items that won’t fit into the bag, you’ll need to let the TSA screening agents know so they can inspect them. While you can request a visual inspection of your items, you may need to allow them to be X-rayed in order to pass through security. The TSA doesn’t currently require that medications be labeled, but such labeling may speed up the screening process.

In some cases, passengers may be required to show their physician’s prescription along with the medication in order to pass through security. Your MedFlight911commercial medical escort will help you get the required prescriptions and other documentation necessary to the airport personnel to ensure that you can board your flight with all of your necessary medical supplies.

The TSA has more detailed information about traveling with medications, as well as for passengers with health concerns and disabilities on its website www.tsa.gov. While the rules may seem fairly straightforward, you can never know exactly what’s going to happen when you get to the airport. Be prepared for the screening by keeping your medications separate from your other luggage and presenting them to the TSA officer before you begin the screening process.

One other way to simplify the screening process – and make it more likely you’ll get through security and be allowed to board the plane – is to travel with a commercial medical escort. An escort can be especially helpful if the passenger has limited mobility, complicated health issues, or simply isn’t used to flying. At MedFlight911, our air medical escorts know all the TSA rules and regulations, since they travel all the time. They help their patients move through security smoothly and with a minimum of delays, making the travel process as simple as possible.

To find out more about MedFlight911′s air medical transport services give us a call at 888-359-1911 or get a no-obligation air medical escort quote here.

You may have seen us mention an FBO, or fixed base of operations, in some of our earlier MedFlight911 air ambulance blog posts. But if you’re not a pilot, you may not really know what that term means.

FBOs are flight service centers that are located at both private air fields and large international airports. These facilities provide refueling, hanger space, parking, maintenance, and other services for aircraft. An FBO may also provide accommodations for pilots and passengers, such as restrooms, restaurant facilities, crew rest lounges or access to ground transportation services. Typically, they’re run by private companies, though at very small airports, the FBO may be publicly owned and operated.

If you’re flying on a MedFlight911 air ambulance flight, you’ll be departing from a fixed base of operations, not a regular commercial airport terminal. That might seem a bit unusual if you’re used to traveling on major airlines from crowded, hectic airports. But much of the air traffic in the U.S. is general aviation, including air ambulance flights, and these flights often use FBOs. And once you visit an FBO, you may never want to go back to a commercial airport.

So what exactly does using an FBO mean for you as a passenger? Basically, if you’re traveling on a MedFlight911 flight out of, say, Miami International Airport, you won’t head to the main passenger terminal, check-in at the airline counter, and proceed through security to catch your air ambulance flight. Instead, you’ll go directly to the FBO (usually accompanied by trained medical staff from MedFlight911) and board your plane from there – no long lines, and no waiting. And the security process is different; read about the air ambulance transport process.

For our patients, using an FBO makes the entire air medical transport process so much easier and less stressful, and it allows us to get on our way as quickly as possible. Usually, we can move the patient directly from the ground ambulance to the air ambulance, and get the accompanying passengers and the crew onto the plane without too much hassle.

Another good thing about using FBOs for our air ambulance service is that they allow us a lot more flexibility in where we can go and which patients we can serve. Many people in the U.S. don’t live close to a commercial airport, which can make getting anywhere via airplane pretty difficult. But by using FBOs, we can fly into smaller airports that never see commercial traffic. Usually, even if a patient isn’t near a commercial airport, there’s an FBO relatively close by, and we can arrange to pick them up at that location.

Do you have more questions about what will happen on the day of your air ambulance flight? You can always contact us with your concerns. We’re happy to explain the air medical transport process to put your mind at ease.

To find out more about MedFlight911′s air ambulance services give us a call at 888-359-1911 or get a no-obligation worldwide air ambulance quote here.

With Memorial Day now behind us, we’re heading into the peak summer travel season. But if you’re planning on heading abroad this summer, do you know how you would get home if you experienced a medical emergency? MedFlight911 air ambulance offers these tips to help you prepare in case the worst happens:

Visit the doctor before you leave. Depending on your overall health and destination, consider visiting your doctor for a check-up at least several weeks before you depart. You may need vaccinations before visiting certain countries. And if you’re planning an adventure-focused trip, you should make sure you’re fit enough for rock climbing, scuba diving, or whatever else might be on your agenda.

Gather information. Before you leave, make sure you know how to contact emergency medical personnel in the country you’re visiting – dialing 911 won’t work everywhere. Makes copies of your health information and bring them with you. Also, look into the quality of medical care in the place you’ll be visiting, and consider whether you’d need to return to the U.S. to get the treatment you might need. For example, not all countries have the same procedures for screening donated blood as we do in the U.S., which could make receiving a blood transfusion in these places far riskier than it would be at home.

Check your policy. Don’t assume that your medical or travel insurance will cover the cost of a worldwide air ambulance or other medical care abroad. Not all policies offer this coverage. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call your insurer and ask about what’s covered and what’s not.

Consider supplemental insurance. If your existing insurance won’t pay for air medical transport, you may be able to buy supplemental travel or medical coverage that will help you cover the expense. (We recommend Medjet Assist.)

Research air ambulance providers. Who would you call if you did need an air ambulance to get back home? Rather than trying to find someone in the heat of the moment, before you leave put together a list of providers you could contact if you do need air medical transport. Having this information handy will make things a little easier if you do face a crisis.

Don’t forget medical escorts. Not every medical emergency requires air ambulance transport. If you get sick abroad, but your condition isn’t critical, hiring an air medical escort might be a good idea, and it’s typically more affordable than an air ambulance. At MedFlight911, our medical escorts travel with patients on commercial flights and help them with everything from boarding the plane to administering medications.

To find out more about MedFlight911′s air ambulance services give us a call at 888-359-1911 or get a no-obligation worldwide air ambulance quote here.

It’s summertime, and the living is easy – at least until an accident happens, and you need medical care or even an air ambulance. As people, especially kids, head outdoors during the warm months, the risk of having an accident while swimming, hiking, biking, or engaging in other summer fun also increases. At MedFlight911, we urge you to keep these tips in mind so you can stay safe this summer.

Water safety. Whether it’s the backyard pool or a trip to the shore, avoid drowning accidents by practicing basic water safety. Keep a close eye on small children in the water at all times. Try to choose beaches and pools where there’s a lifeguard on duty. If you’ll be boating, make sure everyone wears a life jacket.

Bike safety. Everyone who rides a bike – both kids and adults – should always wear a helmet. That’s true whether you’re riding on city streets or on the neighborhood bike path, since helmets can prevent serious head injuries. If kids will be riding around the neighborhood, make sure they know to obey traffic signals and pay attention to what’s going on around them to reduce the risk of an accident. It’s unfortunately not unusual for an air ambulance like MedFlight911 to be called in to transport patients with traumatic brain injury to specialized medical centers for treatment, and it’s especially heart-breaking when these cases involve children.

Car safety. Every year, you hear tragic stories of young children who die because they’ve been left in a hot car. It’s an obvious safety tip, but it bears repeating: Never leave a child alone in a parked car on a warm day, even if the windows are rolled down and the outside air temperature is not that hot. It doesn’t take long for the inside of the vehicle to become like an oven.

Camping safety. Many families venture into the great outdoors during the summer months. To stay safe, practice basic food safety while cooking, be cautious when building fires, and use common sense when hiking or swimming. Use insect repellent to prevent bug bits and know what to do if you encounter a wild animal.

If you or your loved one has an accident this summer, getting appropriate medical care right away is the most important step. Depending on where you are (for example, if the incident occurred away from home) or the severity of the injury, you may need an air medical transport. That’s where MedFlight911 comes in. We’re here to help you get you to the care you need or get home safe.

To find out more about MedFlight911′s air ambulance services give us a call at 888-359-1911 or get a no-obligation air ambulance quote here.

An air ambulance is a unique environment, with limited space and special conditions (such as the possibility of changes in air pressure while in flight) that affect the way we care for patients. Those are all factors that come into play when MedFlight911 is choosing the equipment that our medical team will use to while transporting a patient, including when we’re selecting the stretchers that will carry our patients.

If you’re like most people, you may simply assume that medical stretchers are all the same – a basic device that is used to transport a sick or injured person from one place to another. But that’s not really the case. Simple stretchers (such as those used in disaster situations) may involve nothing more than a few bars and a piece of cloth. But the stretchers we use on our air ambulance flights are actually fairly complicated pieces of equipment, with a variety of components designed to promote the patient’s health and safety.

There are 3 different functions of a stretcher: 1) to provide the patient comfort; 2) to give the air medical crew the ability to lay a patient in a supine position in the aircraft; and 3) to keep the patient safe while transitioning the patient from the ambulance to the aircraft, while in flight, and while transitioning the patient from the aircraft into the ambulance.

Part of the reason that our stretchers are so complex is because in the U.S., medical stretchers for airplanes need to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). For example, the stretcher must have straps that can be used to secure the patient if necessary while in flight, as well as a way to secure the stretcher itself during flight. But aside from FAA regulations, we use stretchers specifically designed for use on an aircraft because it makes it easier to smoothly transport the patient to and from the aircraft, and to keep them safe while in transit.

At MedFlight911 air ambulance, we use Lifeport™ or Spectrum™ stretchers – depending on the type of aircraft and loading angles of that particular aircraft. Both types of stretchers house all advanced life support (ALS) components that are needed to care for critical patients on lengthy flights, including:

• 3500-liter oxygen system
• Compressed air pump
• Vacuum pump, supplied by suction pumps, maintaining adequate suction for varied functions
• Pneumatically controlled backrest  that adjusts from 0-60°
• Two-inch thick mattress
• Patient safety restraint system
• Electrical: multiple 115 vac/60hz outlets powered by dual 1000 watt AC inverters

Shockingly, not every air ambulance provider uses FAA-approved medical stretchers. It may seem like a silly question, but if you’re interviewing air ambulance companies, be sure to ask about what kind of stretchers they use. We have heard of some operators who have placed patients on a mattress on the floor of an airplane, which clearly isn’t a safe way to travel. At MedFlight911, we utilize only the highest-quality equipment so that we can offer our patients the best possible care.

To find out more about MedFlight911′s air ambulance services give us a call at 888-359-1911 or get a no-obligation air ambulance quote here.