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AIR AMBULANCE >> UF HEALTH SHANDSCAIR
CHOPPER DOCS
Airborne Heroes The UF Health ShandsCair Critcal Care Transport Program W RIT TE N BY J U LI A MITCH EM
“T
hese guys make the extraordinary look ordinary,” said Edward Crews, program director for the UF Health ShandsCair Critical Care Transport Program. Members of the flight teams put their lives on the line for their patients who are, no doubt, facing some of their darkest hours as they are treated and airlifted for further life-saving care. However, Crews insists that this is by no means a one-man job. The success of these awe-inspiring men and women is the result of an ardent team and its joint efforts. Every single person has a part in making the ShandsCair program function efficiently. Whether it be someone from the adult/ pediatric team, administrative team, critical care ground transport team, neonatal/pediatric team, communication team, a mechanic or one of the pilots — all play a vital role. The Communication Center is the backbone of the program, according to Crews. Communication specialists answer the incoming emergency calls and monitor flights in all locations. The center functions around the clock, 24 hours a day, with five specialists at a time working 12-hour shifts. The hangar, located just off of Archer Road on SW 16th Avenue, has five helicopters, referred to as air ambulances, and works with Med-Trans (an air medical transport company) as an aviation partner. The air ambulances are flying Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and have Extracorporeal Membrane
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OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
May/June 2019
PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL A. EADDY