Advanced Rapid Transport In Order To Save Lives

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
Date: Dec 09 2016 12:24 PM

DOTHAN:    This morning at Aero One Jet Center at the Dothan Airport, Joey Pilcher of Pilcher Ambulance Service and Bruce McNeal of Wiregrass Life Flight joined together to make a major life saving announcement.

They have  added a fixed wing aircraft to the air fleet for rapid transport of critical patients into the medical facilities of Dothan and out to other medical facilities. This fixed wing air unit will allow transport in weather conditions where a helicopter can not fly.

Dothan - Houston County is fortunate to be the medical hub of the wiregrass. Our community has excellent health care facilities with Southeast Alabama Medical Center and Flowers Hospital. From outer areas patients are brought into the facilities for life saving treatment.

And certain conditions require patients be transported from Dothan medical facilities to other specialized care units.

Pilcher Ambulance, started by Joe and Ruby Pilcher, has grown and always tried to stay advanced in medical treatment. The Pilcher's son, Joey, took over the business and made it a major successful patient care transport service. Under Joey's leadership, Pilcher Ambulance transports emergency patients and all Dothan 911 calls, and non emergency transports and wheelchair transports.

Realizing the importance of rapid transport, a number of years ago Joey went to work to develop air service transport. He partnered with air transport company and that was the birth of Wiregrass Life Flight. A helicopter transport to be launched when 911 Centers receive the call, based on the nature of the call.

The helicopter, and now the fixed wing, are "in the air" intensive care units.

One thing I realized recently... if your airway is obstructed, the crews on air units, have the training, expertise and authorization to paralyze and take over your airway in order for the patient to breath. That is major.

But the air units are not designed to replace or take over area ground transports. And while Pilcher Ambulance is the backup unit for the Houston County Volunteer Ambulances, it is not and has never been Pilcher Ambulance or Wiregrass Life Flight mission to take over or replace the volunteer units. It is their mission to assist and save lives.

Some important information... you do not transport a patient on the helicopter that CPR is in progress. When the 911 Center does their job and auto launch the helicopter on the dispatch of the call, the air unit can be circling as the ambulance arrives. That volunteer agency arrives and has basic medical people and CPR is in progress. The medical staff on the air unit will land, load in the ambulance with the volunteers, and assist them in the ground transport.

But a patient where there is trauma, the air unit medical staff have the training, expertise and guidance to administer a lot of stabilization medical treatment to a patient before transported.

In emergency services, this is major for the wiregrass and tri-state area for medical care.

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