An air ambulance is a vital transportation option for emergency healthcare. Whether an injured hiker needs to be rescued from a mountaintop, or a trauma case has to be transported to a suitable hospital, this mode of transportation can ensure timely medical, life saving treatment. However, before getting into an air ambulance, there are some things that should be checked out beforehand such as:

How experienced is the crew?

Pilots and co-pilots of an air ambulance have to have at least 2500 flight hours logged before they become captains. In addition, they have to have at least 5 years of experience in the ER, CCU or ICU of a medical facility before they are deemed capable. The pilot should also have a FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) certified degree from a notable flight school or at least a second class certificate as a commercial pilot. Needless to say the flight school they get their degree from should also be FAA certified.  Flight nurses in an air ambulance should have at least 5 years of experience working in the ER, ICU or CCU of a facility.

Who needs an air ambulance?

Air ambulances are critical modes of transportation for patients who need to travel to a medical facility fast or need specialized care. These range from cancer treatments, trauma treatment, strokes etc. It is also a suitable alternative transportation mode for seniors who stress out, get claustrophobic or panic during commercial air flights. Patients who need to be transported more than 250 miles to another facility are usually asked to take one as well.

How long does it take to arrange an air ambulance?

An air ambulance crew should be given at least a few days notice to prepare before a patient has to be transported. However, it can also be arranged within 2 to 4 hours for emergency cases. If on the other hand the air ambulance is international, a number of factors will determine the dispatch time will take. These include international permits, visas and passports for the patients and the family members who are accompanying them.

How many family members can accompany the patient onboard?

Family members can accompany a patient on the air ambulance at no extra charge but the number of passengers is usually controlled according to the needs of the patient, the personnel, the type of aircraft that is being used and the equipment onboard. However, still, at least 1 to 2 family members or loved ones are allowed to ride along.

How much does hiring an air ambulance life flight cost?

The price of an air ambulance or booking a medical transfer is costly and is influenced by a number of factors. The most influential aspects include aircraft positioning and how quickly the patient needs to be moved. The closer the aircraft is to the patient, the lower the price. You can also get a lower price if you book the air ambulance a couple of days beforehand. However, you may not have this option in an emergency case. In such a case, it would be best to go for the first available booking you can get, irrespective of price. It will literally be a matter of life and death after all.

The medical transportation industry provides a valuable service for those with serious medical issues. Many people with health problems need to travel to other locations, but cannot do so safely without special help. Medical transportation teams will handle any long or short distance travel needs to make life easier for those with disabilities or medical needs. Working for an Air Medical Service can be very fulfilling and profitable as a career choice. What is Medical Transportation? Medical transportation services are used to safely move someone who requires constant medical care to a new location. This distance can be as short as to a nearby medical clinic or a nursing home, or it may be as far as a different country overseas. Usually, long-distance medical transportation takes place in a specially-designed airplane or helicopter, but medical vans or ambulances may be used for shorter distances. State to State Patient Transport may be necessary for a number of reasons. People with medical issues may need to travel to a different medical or long-term care facility for treatment, and they may be unable to ride in a regular car or van. Often, they will require constant medical care or use devices like that need to remain connected and functional in order to maintain their health. Even a trip to a relative’s home or to regular appointments can be challenging for those with medical concerns. Medical transportation offers these people the ability to get to where they need to be without risking further problems with their health. During medical transportation trips, full-service medical care is provided to suit any patient’s exact needs. Well-trained, experienced medical personnel make up the crew during these travels, and they are able to handle any type of medical necessity along the way. In addition, medical transportation personnel will do their best to make their clients comfortable and happy during their trip. Those will disabilities or serious medical concerns make think that these trips would be highly uncomfortable or unpleasant, but medical transportation personnel make every effort to make the trip enjoyable for their patients. What Kinds of Medical Treatments and Care Do Medical Transport Teams Provide? Medical transportation specialists will handle any type of medical need or State to State Patient Transport that their patients require. The on-board staff members are highly qualified and can handle any type of continued medical treatment or unexpected medical emergency. Depending on the needs of the patient, staff on a medical transportation flight will handle any type of IV treatments, colostomy bags, dialysis machines, catheters, oxygen treatments, wound care and more to keep their patients healthy and comfortable. The type of staff members on a medical transportation flight will also depend on the needs and physical condition of the patient to be transported. What Types of Qualifications Are Needed to Work in the Medical Transportation Field? Medical transportation services have different needs from their staff, so the types of qualifications required will vary. Generally, medical transportation companies will need a variety of EMTs, nurses, physicians and other less qualified employees to successfully provide service to patients. For those interested in entering the medical transportation field as a career choice, the following options are available:

• EMTS/Paramedics. EMTs and paramedics are often thought of as the first-responders for any type of serious accident or medical emergency, but their services are not limited to emergency ambulatory situations. Many medical transport companies prefer to hire qualified paramedics and EMTS to accompany patients on flights or other forms of long-distance travel. They provide basic medical care and can assist in varying types of emergency situations. Paramedics and EMTS typically have to go through at least six month of training before they can receive the most basic certification, but more advanced certifications and training are available and preferred. Generally, a paramedic or EMT that works with a medical transportation company can expect an average salary of around $35,000 each year.

• RNs. Registered nurses on an Air Ambulance often assist doctors and other medical professionals in hospitals, nursing homes and medical offices, but they are also a valuable asset to medical transportation teams. RNs must go through a substantial amount of training in a nationally-recognized nurse training school or program. Typically, RNs have accomplished at least two years of special training and education before they receive their degree. Nurses play a huge role in medical transportation teams, and they are some of the most valuable team members for these companies. Nurses that choose to work with a medical transportation company will earn a yearly salary of $70,000 or more.

• Physicians. Physicians are the most skilled and trained members of medical transport teams, and they provide the most intense levels of medical care. Physicians are required for patients that are in critical or unstable condition for their trip or that require Air Critical Care, and they are able to meet almost any medical need. Physicians must go through four years of medical school as well as several years of residency and training before they are qualified to help with medical transportation teams. As they provide the most specialized and attentive medical care possible, physicians will receive an annual salary of $180,000 or more when they choose to work for a medical transportation company.

• Other Team Members. Some medical transportation teams will hire less-skilled workers to help with general needs. These employees may be responsible for handling meal preparation, bathing, personal grooming, entertainment and other needs for the patient being transported. To work for a medical transportation team in one of these capacities, people must generally be age 21 or older with a high school degree and have a clean driving record, background and drug panel.

Medical transportation teams make travel possible for those with serious medical issues. Team members for these trips are normally highly-skilled medical personnel, but there are also positions available for those with less experience. A career in Air Medical Transport is a great way to help others and travel the country while providing expert care.

Having to transport a family member who is ill a long distance is a trying experience. It is difficult to keep someone with a serious illness comfortable on a much shorter journey. However when the trip involves the mileage between cities, countries or continents the stakes are that much larger and the repercussions of mismanaging the trip are additionally significant. To these ends, choosing the right critical care transporation service can mean the difference between life and death for a loved one. Air Critical Care (ACC) To serve these important goals and provide the best medical transportation possible, families need to work with an Air Critical Care (ACC) company that offers an extensive range of services. This means every step of the trip is planned to the most minute detail. Each patient is carefully monitored each step of the way, with nothing left to chance. From the time a man, woman or child is gently moved from their original bedside, to the moment when they are placed in their new hospital or home-based bed, an entire crew is there to assist their every need. Family members need to be confident that whether their patient is at a basic or critical care level, all of their medical requirements will be met. At every turn this patient will be attended to by a staff experienced in bringing forth the highest levels of service both on the ground and in the air. In addition to medical services, every patient will receive a personalized standard of care, a “personal touch” that combines both medical expertise with a tremendous dose of true compassion. Communications is Key Organization is important when there are multiple aspects of medical transportation, and in particular long distance medical transport. A communications center must be staffed on a 24/7 basis with transport specialists who understand how to make every piece of the puzzle fit together seamlessly. Precisely because the passenger is so ill, timing must be cared out with military precision. With their wealth of experience, the long distance ambulance staff, commercial medical escort and air ambulance crew all perform as one. This type of concern is a primary reason why families choose a service like ACC over other general commercial ground and air transportation carriers. When families members are not able to travel with their loved one their personal communications coordinator will keep them fully abreast of the situation as things occur. They can breathe a sign of relief as their coordinator informs them where their loved one is in flight, along with each aspect of their ground transportation as it progresses. An Experienced Medevac Crew is Paramount Transportation services for critically ill patients depends on the skill and training of all those who assist them. To serve this mission, ACC staffs its teams with only the best and most dedicated individuals in the industry. These include Physicians, Critical Care Registered Nurses, Paramedics and Respiratory Therapists. Each professional is chosen for a trip based on their background and ability to provide customized care to a patient while en-route. In addition, team members must have training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Aero Medical Physiology to work with patients. The ACC team has not only met these requirements, but has exceeded them in order to provide the most advanced level of care to their passengers both in the air and when back on the ground. Rapid Response Families in need of critical care transport should visit the website of Air Critical Care located online at http://aircriticalcare.com. On these web pages, they can request a quote either by phone or by filing on an online form. The cost of transporting a critically ill loved one by long distance ambulance or air transportation is competitively priced, and comes without hidden fees. Air Medical Transport options are available for all of North America, as well as countries all over the globe.

Imagine for a moment, your daughter and her husband are out of town on vacation. An unexpected phone call is received. Apparently, daughter has been involved in a car accident. This is very frustrating because she is in another area and her family won’t be able to visit her in the hospital. If something similar to this has happened to your family, it may be beneficial to take advantage of Air Transport Medical Transportation. This way, she will have the opportunity to be treated at a local hospital and friends and family members will be able to check on her regularly. Maybe there is a loved one who is on hospice. If this is the case, there is a good chance that they would like to see their family members one last time. If this is the case, Elderly Transport is definitely something to be considered. A team of professionals will arrive at their home and make sure that everything is stable for the transport. They will talk with the loved one to let them know everything that is about to happen. This way, they will be fully prepared for this experience. If there is a member of the family who is disabled, there may be an opportunity for them to get better treatment in another area. Unfortunately, it can be extremely difficult to travel. If this is the case, check into Disabled Transport for your loved one. Someone who is specialized in State to State Patient Transport will be with the loved one at all times. They will make sure that they are safe and secure and that the transportation will be a success. State to State Patient Transport is something that is becoming very common. Traveling with health problems can be difficult. However, if there is a nurse who is available to travel with the patient, things will go a little easier. The nurse will make sure that all of their vitals are looking good and that their oxygen is available when needed. This is something that can be done safely if everything is in order. Never assume that medical transportation is unavailable. Talk with the doctor to learn more about how to get started with this process.

Air Medical Services are used to remove injured people from accident scenes, from inaccessible places, such as mountain tops, and to transport patients from community hospitals to trauma centers. Air Medical Transport is the fastest method of transporting critically ill patients, and requires a specialized crew. Medical personnel have extra training that allows them to provide care while in transport. There is also a flight coordinator that handles medical records and all arrangements so that emergency care is ready when the patient lands. Not all Air Medical Services are exclusive to emergencies, there are other reasons air services are necessary. Long distance medical transport services provide bedside to bedside transport for elderly patients or patients with heart conditions that can become critical during travel. Standard equipment on medical transports include medications, stretchers, ventilators, CPR equipment, and heart monitoring machinery. Air Ambulance New York, for example, can be utilized to transport a patient with a traumatic brain injury from New York City to Buffalo for specialized treatment. New York Medical Transport does not necessarily mean air transportation. It can mean ground transport by ambulance is the safety and health of the patient are not compromised. A medical team would be there for emergencies, but if it is possible, ground transportation is more cost-effective. Most insurances will cover ground transport, but will only cover air transport with pre-authorization. There are some flights that are funded by large corporations or public donations, which may be utilized if the need is great. A hospital social worker can help with those details if a medical transport is needed for critical care. Air flights are also utilized for medical escorts, organ transplant flights, oncology medical flights, pediatric air ambulance flights, and illness transports. If a patient cannot travel safely by ambulance, then a flight will be deemed necessary. Many companies have different air transports, so medical personnel decides what type of plane is used for which flights. A small helicopter may be sufficient to get a donated organ to its destination. Bigger jets may be dispatched in the case of a natural disaster, an explosion, or a train collision. Several air ambulances may be sent out if there are many injured people.

                                     Air Ambulance Transport Meets a Variety of Patient Needs

Medical professionals today deal with a wide variety of patient issues. However, before any medical assistance can be rendered, patients must first get to the medical facility. In metropolitan areas, hospitals and other care facilities are often within relatively easy reach, but more rural areas rarely have sophisticated health services nearby. That remoteness means patients must endure long ambulance rides to get the care the they need. However, there is another alternative available—Air Ambulance Transport. Accident victims and others needing advanced trauma care are transported quickly to facilities equipped to handle level one trauma care cases. Of course, seconds count for anyone needing emergency care. Air Ambulance Transport is also used even in metropolitan areas to speed patients’ moves to medical facilities. Countless lives have been saved when Air Transport delivered patients to hospitals in time for emergency procedures to be effective. Medical Transportation providers use helicopters as well as fixed-wing aircraft to hasten patients’ trips to facilities. Elderly Transport is another area of expertise provided by air ambulance services. Patients who fall ill while on vacation, for example, frequently need a fast, comfortable way to get back home for rehabilitation care. Air transportation is faster and often far more comfortable than being subjected to an extended ground trip. Disabled Transport needs are also well met by air ambulance services. When specialized treatment is only available from a handful of providers, air transport is often the only practical way for disabled individuals to get to those treatments. One issue facing patients needing air ambulances is cost. The overhead for operating air ambulance services is far higher than the costs experienced by most ground-based services, meaning patients are faced with significant bills when using air ambulances. While trauma patients have few options, other patients may find it valuable to check out special funding programs designed to help them move by air. GoFundMe, for example, has provided a platform many people have used to access the money needed for these types of services. Before foregoing air services as being too expensive, explore all options offering financial assistance. No matter why the need for medical transportation exists, air ambulance services are often the best option for patients needing advanced care or long-distance relocations. While ground-based services may be available, they generally require patients to endure excessively long trips under less than optimal conditions. Providers are available to answer questions help patients explore their options.

As America’s baby boomer population continues to age, there is an ever-growing number of scenarios in which it is necessary to move an aged person with unique health concerns from point A to point B. There are often many situations where state to state disabled transport is necessary, even though the patient may not be elderly. The patient is generally incapable of transporting him or herself. Airlines will not accept people who have medical needs that are beyond what they’re able to accommodate in conjunction with their normal passengers. State to State Patient Transport is currently a hot commodity in the transportation industry, one family members are usually grateful to discover. However, paying for such specialized transport is the challenge most families find difficult to address. Some potential funding options include:

• Patient funding – This is a viable option in circumstances when the patient himself has financial resources available. Even in situations where the patient is no longer judged competent, it is possible for a family member with power of attorney or guardianship to access the patient’s funds to pay for his transportation. Sometimes the transportation is to another facility for treatment, sometimes it is to a long-term care facility, and sometimes it is simply to be closer to family members who can oversee the patient’s care and daily needs.

• Medicare – There are some circumstances where Medicare will pay for all or part of a patient’s transportation. Medicare is a federal entitlement program, and has specific rules about what it is and is not allowed to cover. Generally speaking, Medicare is usually happy to cover medically necessary state to state medical transport. However, they become much pickier when state lines are crossed and rarely, if ever, are willing to cover any kind of non-medically necessary transport. Medicaid will not cover interstate elderly transport unless residency for the patient in the new state is already established and the transport is deemed medically necessary.

• Family pool – People think that their family will always be there for them. That’s the idea, anyway, behind getting everyone together and dividing responsibilities. Often, if one part of a family is willing to provide the elderly family member’s care, the others are happy to pitch in the necessary money to provide for their specialized transportation.

• Asset sales – If it is unlikely the person in need of transport will ever return to his point of origin, and if there is a responsible family member who has been named as guardian or durable power of attorney, then the sale of the patient’s assets is a reasonable means of raising the funds necessary to pay for his medically specialized transportation.

• Charitable solicitations – America is a nation of generous souls. Nowhere is this evidenced better than on websites such as GoFundMe, which is set up so that a person or family member can detail their particular need and then advertise that need via social media in hopes of raising all or part of the money needed to pay for patient expenses. One need that dovetails perfectly with the GoFundMe paradigm is long distance patient transport or State to State Patient Transport. GoFundMe is a website for personal fundraising that has already raised over a billion dollars for individuals’ specialized needs.

• Combination funding – Rarely is the amount of money needed to transport a disabled person a great distance raised from a single source. Many times, it is necessary to take what Medicare is willing to provide and combine it with what family members can afford to spend for the patient’s needs. If a GoFundMe campaign has been enacted, it often can be boosted to be more productive with the addition of a notice in the local paper, fliers on bulletin boards, Facebook announcements, etc. In order for people to contribute, they must first become aware of the need!

The transportation of elderly persons with specialized healthcare needs, as well as younger people with the same, is a competitive and specialized segment of the transportation industry. Long distance travel in a large and comfortable vehicle that provides skilled nursing, entertainment and room for family members and necessary equipment does not come inexpensively. The need for such specialized transportation and its funding is one that is only expected to grow in the coming years.  

A long distance ambulance is not something that is used for emergency calls. This type of transport is ordered when someone has become ill or disabled in some manner and needs to be moved from one location to another. Long Distance Medical Transportation is needed in numerous types of situations.

If an elderly parent becomes unable to take care of themselves, the adult children may require state to state elderly transport to bring them to their homes or a nursing facility nearer to where they live. Likewise, someone who is moving out of state, but is caring for someone with disabilities or reliant on specific medical equipment may need help getting them to their destination.

Occasionally someone will be diagnosed with a rare illness or require a procedure that only a few specialists are able to handle. When this happens they are often already a patient in one medical facility and are unable because of their illness to drive or fly the distant required to reach the hospital where the specialist is located. Long distance patient transport is the method that hospitals use to get the patients where they need to be.

Another possibility that many people do not like to think about, but happens all of the time, are people becoming ill or injured while on vacation. A common occurrence is during bike weeks and other types of events like these. Anywhere that experiences a dramatic increase in traffic in a very short period of time will also suddenly have a larger amount of accidents than normal. Someone injured on this type of trip may be well enough to travel home, but not healthy enough to ride a motorcycle or comfortably ride in a car.

Long Distance Medical Transportation is a service that makes it possible for families to be reunited, loved ones to be closer to home and for some to actually make it home. It is this type of transportation that is often the only way for some very ill patients to spend their final days at home. Those that use this type of long distance disabled transport do not need to be critically ill, just injured or requiring enough care that it is not feasible to use other forms of transportation.

You don’t choose when or where you become ill. It could be far away from home on vacation or a business trip. When you’re too far from home to travel by ground, you can contact an Air Medical Transport to get you back home safely. Whether you’re in a domestic or international location, they can get you home safely. You can fly on a commercial airline with a commercial medical escort, bedside to bedside, with the care you need. If your condition requires a higher level of medical care, you can be transported by an air ambulance. This type of transport includes:

• Emergency Physicians

• Registered Nurses

• Critical Care Paramedics

• Respiratory Therapists

• Supervision by a physician.

For example, if you would go into liver failure at a distant location, you can return home while maintaining the continuity of care. A flight coordinator will arrange all of the transport aspects needed for your care, and will coordinate all of the patient’s needs and the family concerns, including ground service to the hospital upon arrival. Your family will be kept informed at each step of the flight’s progress. This type of care is available as a 24-hour, on-demand service. There are no hidden fees after you’ve been quoted a price for the services. When you choose air medical transport, your family can be assured that your medical care will be the same during transport as it is in any hospital. Your vital signs and condition will be monitored continuously. If your child is ill and in need of specialized care in another city, they don’t have to endure endless hours on the ground in an ambulance. Flights are usually non-stop, with medical care of a hospital facility waiting to continue the appropriate care at the destination. If you need air medical services, there are several options available, depending on your condition. You don’t have to remain in a place far away from your physician or loved ones. You can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to arrange the transportation you or your loved one need to get home safely and be surrounded by the family that they love. Air Critical Care

Getting to a physicians’s office or a medical center is not always an easy thing to do. The assumption should never be that the patient is able to drive themselves to their office appointment or to the hospital for clinical testing to be performed. It is also not practical to assume that one’s friends and family can drive them as well. This is particularly true of senior citizens and all those who have serious medical issues. Public and Privately Available Options Taking public transportation is both inconvenient and can be potentially dangerous for an elderly person. Asking a taxi driver or private car service to bring patients to medical appointments can also be a direct route to additional trouble. However well meaning these individuals may be, their vehicles are not designed to take the disabled and infirmed on the road. These are passengers whose issues need special accommodations for safe and comfortable transport. This is true whether their destination is just a few miles down the street or further away in the next town or municipality. No one should be denied a chance to see the right medical team just because their driving days are over or they are unable to make the trip on their own. Benefits of Medical Transport Services For longer trips, long distance medical transport is prepared to take their passengers wherever they need to be to attend to their medical needs. Travel can be via interstate highway or whatever route is determined to be both timely and efficient. This allows patients to see doctors at distant medical centers or obtain therapies only given at university based teaching hospitals. An additional benefit of hiring a medical transport company is the fact that their drivers are trained to work with older passengers and those individuals who live with mobility related issues. No where is this more evident as with the problem of medical and mobility accessible equipment. Passengers and Necessary Equipment Walkers, wheelchairs and medical accessories need to stored securely during any trip. Professionally based elderly medical transport prevents these necessary items from being damaged by movement. This can render equipment potentially unusable to the very people who depend on them for their daily activities and adult independence. Air Transportation for Special Needs Passengers Air Medical Services are one aspect of transportation services that most senior citizens and their families are not aware of. Professional air medical transport allows patients to see physicians and medical experts in geographic regions that require many hours or days of driving. Pilots and flight attendants are especially trained for their role in the transportation of mobility impaired and critically ill patients. This allows patients who are physically unable to take conventional passenger aircraft due to their condition a route of transportation without the exorbitant expense of hiring a private jet. Patients and their passengers are made comfortable and secured for their flight. Medical personnel, family members and appropriate escorts can rest assured that the trip aloft will be made as smooth as possible by their concerned pilot. For more information on any of these types of travel and to schedule an appointment, visit the web pages of https://allmedicaltransport.com. This website contains both informational and educational materials on the topic. At all times, patients needed transportation should speak with their personal physician before making arrangements for travel.