Re: Questions for remote base operations.............

[Wildmedic17@aol.com]

Mark,

<< What does your program do during "down time"
(i.e. planned and extended maintenance, aircraft
breakdowns, extended periods of bad weather, etc)? >>

       We are very rarely ever "down" for maintenance, since we have an extra 
AC just to rotate into when the primary ships are down. During bad wx (which 
happens very often here in the Buffalo area in the winter), we still pull our 
shifts as normal in case the wx breaks for a short period, as it often does. 
If there is a lecture or something going on at one of the hospitals, we may 
drive over and if the wx breaks and we get a call, the pilot will simply meet 
us at the hosp LZ (about 5 min flight time).  

      << Also, since we no longer have the luxury of dropping 
into the ER or ICU's and "trolling for technologies",
how does your program keep up with continuing
education, clinical rotations, medical rounds and
conferences, etc. >>

       Actually, this is quite a hot topic where I work. Skills maintenance 
isn't too big of an issue here, since we don't do chest tubes or central 
lines and most of our RN's also have PT or per-diem hospital jobs and most of 
our medics have PT or per diem ambulance or fly-car jobs.
       We are required to spend one 12-hour clinical shift per month in the 
ED of the local trauma center. It's not a perfect solution, but we don't know 
what else to do.  
       We also have a quarterly staff meeting where our med director gives a 
lecture, as well as monthly CME (usually read an article, take a short test 
kind of thing...) that we have to do. Once a quarter we have to demonstrate 
all of our skills...mega code, intubations, IO's, talk through an RSI, etc. 
And most of us are pretty motivated to do reading on our own, like journal 
articles and reviewing paramedic and critical care nursing texts.

       Personally, I would love to work for the type of hospital-based 
program where you can wander around...go to the OR for a few tubes, watch 
some cases in the cath lab, hang out in the ICU's and the ED, go on grand 
rounds.....I think that would be way cool, but we make do the best we can. 
Hope this helps.  


Allan Bulkley, NR/CCEMT-P, FP-C
Flight Paramedic
Mercy Flight of WNY

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