In response to an earlier question regarding a state-wide dispatching center;
While I understand the frustration of a hospital calling a specific air ambulance, I can argue for the ground crews. The system that I work for is rather large, and covers a great deal of Texas. In some parts of our coverage we are, obviously, in competition with other air medical providers. When people think of "air-ambulance" they think of a higher level of care as well as a rapid transport. Upon reflection of Texas, this is not always the case. There are air services that do NOT provide a "higher" level of care than the ground crews that called them. So, to put this in scenario form:
You have a CHI patient that desperatly needs a secured airway.
Your ground service does not have the pharmacological capability to sedate nor paralyze this patient.
You have two options of air transport (with a flight time from your scene to a L1 facility at say 20 minutes.)
You can call service A, which is about 8-10 minutes closer than service B. However, service A is merley an extension of your EMS service. . . meaning they use the same protocols as the ground crew ; Service B, 8-10 minutes further away than A, has all the necessary drugs to properly intubate this patient.
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So now it is up to the Paramedic on the ground. We trust, as a pre-hospital society, that this Paramedic will have evaluated the patient and, regardless of who he calls, will be making the correct judgement.
While I realize that "real-life" is far different than some random scenario from flightweb, this is a perfect example of what really DOES happen.
As expected, service A hears about service B responding to a call and immediatley goes on the defense. If we are all advocates of the patient (which I believe is why we are all here to begin with!) than we should not get upset, rather be respectful of the ground Paramedics decision.
*Could someone help me down from my soap-box*
Just a thought.
Virtually Normal,
Cannon Tubb, Lic.-P, FP-C
