NEWS
NEWS
Editor’s comment Welcome to Issue 84 of AirMed & Rescue Magazine, the definitive resource for the global air ambulance and air rescue community. This issue features a column by Stacy Fiscus, Vision Zero chair for the Association of Air Medical Services. She alludes to having been introduced to a new line of thinking about risk – as this refers to a comment I made, I thought I should explain myself. I’ll leave Stacy to explore the ins and outs of safe decision making (see p.18), but here’s what I was musing on how you define ‘acceptable’ risk for air ambulance flights. From my email to Stacy: “The risk of flying has to be lower than the risk of not flying. ‘Risk’ being an overall assessment taking into account the dangers of flying and the likely health outcome for the patient.” Let’s unpack that. First, it’s a given that all air medical transport missions involve risk. It’s unavoidable, since any transport carries risk (even ground ambulances crash, never mind aircraft), likewise medical interventions (think complications, side-effects, lack of information for proper diagnosis – heck, you could even choke on placebo pills). So why fly at all? From a philosophical, academic perspective if you like, what’s balancing this risk? In the past, when thinking about this issue, I’ve framed it in my mind as ‘risk’ vs ‘benefit’. Potential risk of something going wrong balanced against potential benefit to the patient. However, arguably that’s comparing apples with oranges. How about instead framing it as ‘risks of intervening’ vs ‘risks of not intervening’? The primary risk of not intervening is the likely adverse medical outcome if the patient is not flown and is instead transported by ground, say, or not treated at all. The risks of intervening are mainly ‘vehicular’ (e.g. risk of crashing); note that these are effectively multiplied/weighted by the number of people involved (typically three crew plus one patient). The point of this is that we now have risk on both sides of the equation, an apples-to-apples comparison. Looked at this way, the goal of air rescue is no longer about braving the odds to try to help patients, but instead acting to lower overall risk. Fly not despite it being unsafe, but because looked at in the round, it’s safer to do so. Of course, as with many a philosophical pondering, it’s unclear how this translates directly into real-life practice. But looking at things in this way might at least counter the seductive pull of the concept of ‘heroism’ and the negative impact on safety that can entail. As Stacy says, the ultimate goal for air medical crew should not be to die on duty. I say that the ultimate goal should be to maximise the number of patients treated by having a long career, reaching up to retirement. It’s a delicate topic. It’s right to honour accident victims for their service. But to find balance, you also have to honour those who turn down flights when the numbers look bad, considering their duty to do no harm and to live to fly another day. We hope you enjoy this issue of AirMed & Rescue Magazine. James Paul Wallis Editor editor@airmedandrescue.com
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AIRMED & RESCUE
American Securities completes Air Methods acquisition
KING AIR DEPENDABILITY WHEN THE MISSION IS CRITICAL
Private equity firm American Securities LLC announced the closing of its acquisition of air medical transportation and air tourism provider Air Methods Corporation on 21 April. Air Methods CEO Aaron Todd said: “As a private company, Air Methods will have greater flexibility to execute our strategy and pursue long-term growth. We look forward to partnering with American Securities to strengthen our market position in air medical transportation and air tourism.” Marc Saiontz, a managing director of American Securities, said: “We have strong admiration for the men and women at Air Methods and their commitment to providing critical access to care for patients and communities served. The Air Methods team has a paramount focus on clinical care and aviation safety, and on providing hospitals and local communities with the highest quality air ambulance services available. We are excited to assist the company in this critical mission.” Air Methods is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASP AMC Intermediate Holdings, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of affiliated funds managed by American Securities. Air Methods’ common stock will no longer trade on the NASDAQ Stock Market.
Three lost in Rico Aviation crash A Rico Aviation PC-12 plane crashed near Amarillo, Texas, US shortly after midnight on 29 April. The three crew members, none of whom survived the crash, were named by the air ambulance provider as pilot Robin Shaw and flight nurses Misty Nicholson and Scott Riola. According to local media, the plane, tail number N933DC, went down on land close to railway tracks near Highway 287. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the incident occurred shortly after the fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft took off from Amarillo International Airport. It had been heading to Clovis, New Mexico, according to reports. Rico Aviation issued a statement on Facebook: “Rico Aviation regrets to confirm the loss of three crew members last night. We are devastated by this tragedy and are mourning the loss of our team members. The families have been notified and they are in our hearts and prayers. We appreciate prayers for our fallen teammates and their families.” In a later post, the firm said: “The Rico family will always remember the impact made by these three wonderful people lost this past week. Pilot Robin Shaw, flight nurse Misty Nicholson, and flight nurse Scott Riola left an indelible mark in our hearts and will be truly missed.” Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the incident. The weather in the area at the time of the crash has been described as ‘severe’, however it is not yet known if this was a causal factor.
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