STARS team: Darryl Dash, pilot; Sarah Painter, nurse; Troy Pauls, paramedic; Rob Kamphuis, pilot.
ever, helicopters can have an advantage over airplanes in that they are nimble and can land on a highway or open field, so there is some overlap outside this ring depending on the circumstances.” STARS is critical for patients in locations inaccessible
by ground ambulances, or where ambulances will have dif- ficulty navigating congested roads. Tey provide vital sup- port for rural areas, rapid transport times and advanced clinical care.
What sets them apart
Te STARS model differs from some of the other mod- els of care, combining a nurse and paramedic on board. It is a functional model that marries the expertise from prehospital with the expertise from the hospital. Both the nurses and paramedics must have a minimum of three years of critical care training experience in areas such as ICU, trauma or ER. “We are always completing online education, reviewing the equipment, and doing simulation training. We receive five full days of training per month on a different topic. It is one of the real benefits, the training,” Troy says. “I have had more training here than I have had in my entire career. You can have as much as you want because the idea is to be the best you can be,” adds Sarah. Before a mission is accepted the pilot determines if it
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is safe to fly. Weather conditions such as thunderstorms, fog, icing and high winds can keep the helicopter on the ground. In order that pilots not be swayed by emotion, the details of the emergency are kept from them until they determine it is safe to fly. “Tere are two pilots on every flight, along with a nurse and paramedic. An emergency room doctor also flies on certain types of missions. At the Winnipeg base, we have some of the most experienced pilots in Canada. Eight of our ten pilots are former Royal Canadian Air Force of- ficers,” says Cam Heke, communications lead. “Each flight carries two units of O negative blood on
board, what we don’t use goes back into circulation at the blood bank, so nothing is wasted,” says Troy. “Blood is critical in trauma cases where a patient has suffered significant blood loss. Administering IV fluids, is not as beneficial as providing the patient with early blood,” adds Sarah. STARS is essentially a flying ICU. Complete with a video laryngoscope, IV pump, ventilator, medication, por- table i-STAT that can do labs in flight, an ultrasound unit, pediatric kit, monitor and back-up monitor among sev- eral other necessary supplies. “Having this equipment on board is a big piece of the mission. Offering the right level
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