Medical transport helicopter based out of Fernandina Beach airport will cut response times
With a Life Flight medical transport helicopter now stationed at Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport, Baptist Health is improving life-saving care capabilities for area residents.
“This is a tremendous asset for our community,” said Baptist Health director for ER services Parker Brigance. “We can connect our most critical patients to devices they need that are time sensitive.”
Medical transport helicopters are not just about getting care quickly, care is also provided on board.
“Think of it as a flying miniature [intensive care unit]; people on board are ICU-trained, critical care specialized paramedics and flight nurses,” Brigance said.
On board, specialists are able to transfuse blood, give lifesaving medications, prepare splints, along with other procedures.
The medical transport helicopter, which is a first to be located on Amelia Island, will cut response time in half compared to ground response for emergencies. It also cuts down on take-off time when compared to a helicopter arriving from Jacksonville.
“We know that in a lot of acute emergencies, time is brain,” Brigance said.
That means that every second matters for acute patients such as those who are having strokes or heart attacks.
“Nassau County patients can face longer transport distances and more limited access to specialty-care facilities,” said Baptist Nassau Hospital President Tara Beth Anderson. “In these situations, rapid air transport can make a meaningful difference in outcomes. This allows us to better serve our community when every minute counts.”
The aircraft is able to transport patients to the medical facility most appropriate for their care, including Baptist Health hospitals, Wolfson Children’s Hospital, which is a level 1 pediatric trauma center, as well as UF Health TraumaOne Jacksonville, which is the closest level 1 trauma center for adults. . Collaboration with ground emergency management services to conduct on-scene calls will also be possible, Brigance said.
Positioning medical transport helicopters requires constant monitoring of deployment strategies and making sure that resources are available for the people who Baptist Health serves, he said.
From a location like Amelia Island, Life Flight will be able to provide around-the-clock response to Southeast Georgia, along the beaches, and Northeast Florida.
“Our goal is to place resources where they can make the largest impact, while ensuring all communities remain supported through an integrated emergency response network,” Brigance said. “Life Flight will continue to evaluate its deployment strategy and adjust as needed to meet the evolving needs of the community.”