P A G E 1

VOL 6, NO. 8 AUGUST 2013

SOLDIER HONORS PROGRAM AND HOSPITAL WITH PRICELESS GIFT
I
n two separate ceremonies, U.S. Army Captain
Ashley Blessum presented to GHS Med
Trans and Greer Memorial Hospital a United
States ag that ew over her base in Sharana,
Afghanistan while serving our country. Ashley
is the daughter of Bob Blessum, a pilot with
GHS Med Trans and Nancy Blessum, an RN at
Greer Memorial.
Ashley stated that the base ew a ag each
day dedicated to individuals and groups back
home that were supporting the troops efforts
through various means. GHS Med Trans and
Greer Memorial Hospital were both instru-
mental in collecting items for care packages
which were sent to the troops during her tour in
Afghanistan. Ashley recalled how on occasion
due to the uncertainty and hardship of war they
found themselves without the resources to
provide a daily meal. These care packages en-
sured our troops that they had back-up sources
when this occurred. Granola bars and packaged
oatmeal were invaluable. Our troops certainly
deserve better than that.
Ashley has served our country above and
beyond having already completed two tours in
Iraq and two in Afghanistan. We at GHS Med
Trans are beyond humbled that in the clutch of
war she would take the time to think of us. Her
gift is priceless and we will display it at our
base with a profound honor. It is our hope that
each day as this ag is viewed in our base that
we will be reminded of the tremendous dedica-
tion and sacrice that our men and women of
the armed forces are making for us so that we
are able to cherish our freedom.
Bob, Ashley, and Nancy Blessum at GHS Med Trans
Bob, Nancy, Ashley, and John Mansure, president Greer Memorial Hospital.
P A G E 2
MEDICAL FLIGHT CREWS TRAINING AT VCOM
M
edical crews who typically y over
the South Carolina skies have been
grounded at a Spartanburg college re-
cently, taking turns facing a grisly scenario.
Two-person crews from Spartanburg,
Greenville, Anderson, Charleston, Flor-
ence and Augusta, Ga. have been training
at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic
Medicines Carolinas Campus.
The three-day event was meant to
prepare them for rare but potentially deadly
accidents, ofcials said.
The crews, which fall under the umbrella
of Med-Trans Corp., handle the direst of
emergencies in the state, carrying patients
at speeds of more than 150 miles per
hour on helicopters bound for some of the
states best hospitals.
Over the course of the training, more
than 60 ight paramedics and nurses
worked closely on VCOMs state-of-the-art
simulators and in the schools cadaver lab,
said Chris Martin, director of simulation at
VCOMs Carolinas Campus.
Martin designed the scenario faced by
the crews when they step into the sun out-
doors, in the shadow of VCOMs looming
smokestack.
In it, a man named Larry Angelo in
honor of the doctor in the 1992 sci- hor-
ror movie The Lawnmower Man has
been injured when his riding lawnmower
overturned and severed his left leg and
arm.
The scenario, loosely based on real
events, was dj vu for at least one ight
medic from Anderson, who said hed seen
a similar accident.
Angelo is played by one of VCOMs
simulation mannequins. Martin, who
designed the scenario and oversaw it from
a bank of computers, traded in two of the
mannequins limbs for their bloody and
mutilated counterparts.
The mannequin is as real as possible
it moans, breathes and bleeds.
Thats the sight that greeted Justin
Van Damme and Mary Springer, a ight
paramedic and ight nurse for Charleston-
based MeduCare Air, when they walked
into the scenario.
In a matter of minutes, the pair had
applied tourniquets and began treat-
ing Angelos pain while talking to the
simulator. They lifted him onto a stretcher
and wheeled it under a tent that, for the
Training continued on page 8 ...
P A G E 3
IN MEMORY OF RAYMOND D. ANDERSON August 1, 1944 - July 15, 2013
R
aymond Dale
Anderson, 68
passed away in
Lubbock, Tx July
15th. 2013 was
born on August 1,
1944 in Oakland
California at Oak
Noll Naval Hos-
pital. He served in the U.S. Army from
1965-1970 receiving honors as decorated
soldier in Vietnam. He then served his
country again in the Army National Guard
from 1975-1980. He received multiple
prestigious medals and distinguished
awards during his times of served. He
married the love of his life, Patricia Smith
on November 27, 1976. He continued his
passion for work as a helicopter pilot -
Flying the United States Geologists into
Mt. St. Helens during active eruption in
the attempt to capture real life images of
the volcano; He also ew the lmography
crew for the Fires of Kuwait on IMAX; and
nally the last 21 years with the medical
ight crews of Aero Care and Life Star -
helping save lives
P A G E 4
MEDUCARE AIR VISITS U.S. COAST GUARD AIR FACILITY
A
MEDUCARE crew consisting of Debbie Anders
(Nurse), Bubba Dunlap (PM), Simon Barlett and Peter
Broda (Pilots), recently visited the U.S. Coast Guard
Air Facility in Charleston, SC. The Coast Guard crew
included Petty Ofcer Eric Hanssen (Flight Mechanic),
Petty Ofcer Evan Staph (Rescue Swimmer/EMT), LTJG
Kyle Richter (Co-Pilot), and LT Frank Minopolis (Aircraft
Commander). The Coast Guard Air Station in Savan-
nah, GA, maintains the Charleston facility and provides a
helicopter and air crew 24/7/365.
MEDUCARE and the Coast Guard exchanged gifts
and contact information; discussed the differences
between the Coast Guards and a typical EMS helicopters
installed equipment, weather minimums, and timely
scene response criteria; and talked about local trafc
de-coniction communications frequencies.
This PR was the latest in a busy schedule of outreach
to local re, EMS, and police agencies in the South
Carolina Low Country.
MEDUCARE pilot Simon Bartlett and Coast Guard pilots Frank
Minopolis and Kyle Richter.
MEDUCARE and Coast Guard pilots swap There I was ... stories in front of the Coast Guards American Eurocopter MH-65D
Dolphin helicopter.
P A G E 5
P A G E 6
>HERO S I N ACTI ON
CONGRATULATIONS CHRISPATCH - NAACS 2013
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR
It is my honor and my pleasure to announce
that our own Christopher Chrispatch Smith
was nominated and selected as NAACS 2013
CommunicationsSpecialist of the Year! Thank
you to those who provided input and had writ-
ten out the application letters to go with the
nomination form. Chris will ofcially receive
his award at AMTC later this year!
Congratulations Chris and
thank you for all you do for Banner,
for NCMC,and for North Colorado
MedEvac!
Leiton Powell, CFC, EMD
Emergency Services Dispatch Supervisor
North Colorado Med Evac
To the Members of LIFESTAR,
I

am writing to you today to say
THANK YOU! I know more often
than not, you do not hear updates
on the patients you care for so I
would like to share the following
message regarding one of your
patients.
One year ago today you were called
to the airport in Canadian to pick up
a patient that had been involved in a
motorcycle accident. That patient was
my son-in-law. Thanks to the fast
acting and skillful members of Cana-
dian EMS and your quick response
he was taken to NWTH in stable but
serious condition. He had 10 broken
ribs, a crushing injury to both lungs,
15 spinous processes were broken
and he suffered a head injury. After
2 weeks in NWTH he was own to
Craig Hospital where he received
amazing treatment for six weeks.
Today he is doing GREAT. He has
returned to work but more important-
ly is a Loving Husband and Amazing
Daddy to 4 beautiful children. So
again I want to say Thank You for
letting God work through your hands
to do the Amazing work You Do!
Diane Boyd
Gruver EMS
BASE NAME COMMENTS
AeroCare 6 Referring: very friendly, helped ease the stress of patient. Receiving: Staff were Kelly Garrett & Christy Wright-Professional & Courteous. Kelly was
very knowledgeable in the patients report. Patient was also pleased with the care he received in his transfer.
LIFE FORCE 1 Prehospital: Great crew just love having your ight service as an available resource. Thanks for all you guys do.
Air Reach Patient: Kim and Jojo were great
Amarillo Referring: Beverly and Michael were very professional during transfer of care. They both worked well with each other and gave a great report on the
patients condition. After there transport, the patient kept talking about how impressed he was with both of them. To t
F E E D B A C K A N D P R A I S E S
P A G E 7
Training continued from page 2 ...
purposes of the training, represented a
helicopter.
In the shade of the tent, the pair con-
tinued working on Angelo until Martins
computer told him that the patient was in
stable condition.
Afterwards, Van Damme and Springer
said the training was as real as possible to
the real thing.
We can pretty much do everything
on this simulator that we can on a real
person, Van Damme said.
Both said the training was the most real-
istic of their careers. Van Damme has been
a ight paramedic for two years, Springer a
ight nurse for four years.
The set up here is so amazing for us,
Springer said. This is hands-on. Were
not just saying what we would do in this
scenario, were doing it.
After the scenario, the pair joined a
group in VCOMs third-oor cadaver lab,
where they practiced surgical procedures
on the bodies of two men.
Med-Trans began sending its ight
medics to VCOM earlier this year. The rst
session, in May, was meant to familiarize
them with VCOMs realistic simulators.
Jim Mobley, regional director for
Med-Trans Corp., said the training began
after Spartanburg EMS ofcials linked the
company with VCOM.
VCOM, in its third year in Spartanburg,
has established several partnerships with
area health care providers, including Spar-
tanburg EMS.
The school is establishing itself as a
multi-disciplinary, regional-based training
center that allows local medical personnel
and medical students to train in the safest,
yet most realistic way possible, ofcials
said.
Mobley said the training was unlike any-
thing the company can provide on its own,
and said others could benet from a VCOM
partnership.
Some organizations have simulators or a
cadaver lab, he said, but rarely are both in
the same location.
The partnership is huge. We dont know
of another entity like this, Mobley said.
We pride ourselves on the training we do,
but this will make us 1,000 percent better.
Henry Ward, program director for Medu-
care Air, said some of the procedures being
practiced at VCOM were relatively rare.
These are the ones you want to go your
whole career and be able to say Ive never
done one, he said. But you need to be
familiar with them, just in case.
Mobley agreed.
He said there was a low probability that
any of the medics would need to use the
surgical procedures in real life. But if they
do, they need to be able to do them well.
Were trying to train them for a difcult
situation so its not difcult when it hap-
pens, he said.
By Drew Brooks, drew.brooks@shj.com
P A G E 8
>A SPECI AL THANK YOU
Dear Reid and the Spirit LifeLine Team,
My colleague says she sees and hears the Spirit LifeLine helicopter ying over
her place often (she is north of Dickinson, N.D.). We were talking today about
what a wonderful service the helicopter is to our community. Thank you so much
for what you do and for what the crew does for Dickinson and the surrounding
areas, saving lives!
Annika
5 TIPS TO EASE YOUR CHILDS TRANSITION FROM SUMMER VACATION TO SCHOOL
M
aking the transition from summer va-
cation to a school schedule can be a
bumpy ride. Excitement fuels the rst
few days, but it can take some time to re-
ally get into the swing of things. Starting
to change your routine during the last two
weeks of summer can ease the transition,
especially when you use a few simple tips
to prepare for the new school year.
1. Shop early for clothes and supplies
In the days leading up to a new school
year, stores gain crowds, but rapidly run
out of school supplies. Shop early to avoid
the stress of out-of-stock items or picked-
over designs. If you dont have a specic
school supply list from your teacher yet,
you can still stock up on the basics like
crayons, paper, and pencils. Dont forget
new backpacks, lunch boxes and a special
outt for the rst day of school.
2. Set up a school routine and ease into it
Your school days are likely to start
earlier than your relaxed summer vaca-
tion routine. Transition into a new sleep
schedule by gradually going to bed and
waking up earlier. Begin to shift TV and
video game time to later in the afternoons
and have more quiet activities like reading
and board games during the day. Its also
a great time to brush up on math and
other school skills with ash card games
or online refreshers.
3. Plan and practice school lunches
School lunchtime can be a nice break
from classes, particularly when kids look
forward to their packed lunches. Add
some fun to school preparations by letting
your kids help you test out healthy items
which will pack well in their lunch boxes.
If your children are shy or going to a
new school, they may be anxious about
nding friends in the school cafeteria. It
may help to role play ways to strike up
conversations or handle potential fears.
4. Visit the school
A trip to the school before the year of-
cially begins can be a great way to lessen
anxiety. Find out if your school offers
an orientation or open house and make
sure your summer vacation plans wont
keep you from attending. If there is no
scheduled event, you can still bring your
child to the school to see the building and
perhaps meet the ofce staff.
5. Keep the rst week open
The rst week of school is a busy time.
Expect your kids to bring home a stack
of paperwork for you, and be prepared to
spend some extra time listening to stories
about their rst days. Engaging your kids
by asking to see their textbooks and hear
about their teachers can help generate
excitement and show that you are there to
support them. However, children are likely
to be tired and a bit overwhelmed as well.
Give them some time to themselves and
let them decide how much (or little) they
want to talk about school until theyve had
some time to adjust.
BRAGGING RIGHTS:
Please send in your program news
and photos, we would love to hear
from you. This is your chance to
brag about anything and everything
that your ight team is doing in
your community. We are looking
for PR Events, Crews in Action,
Training Information,
Team / Crew Member Milestones
and Photos, Photos
and More Photos!
Please submit your information
to: vogelreid@med-trans.net.