jueves, 15 de julio de 2010

A true story...

Accidents can happen anywhere and at any time, even when you are celebrating a nice vacation in a hot tropical beach resort. This is exactly what happened to John during his vacation in Mexico. Having fun at night with friends, after been drinking beers and beers John and his friends decided to go back to the hotel. They had enjoyed a terrific night at one of the local disco´s and found it was time to get back to the hotel for a good night sleep.

Fate however decided differently. In a jolly mood the friends took the decision to jump in the hotel swimming pool just before going to bed. As we all know it is forbidden to use the pool at night but as there was no hotel staff around they thought it´d be fun. It would be just one jump after all! A great way to end the night they thought. John, who was seriously drunk at that time was definitely in for a quick refreshing jump. Making jokes and taking off his shirt the idea was to run and jump into the pool. However just before he wanted to jump he slipped and banged his head onto the side of the pool. It was an enormous smack. With blood pouring into the pool it was clear it had seriously gone wrong.

The friends had to drag John out of the pool and as he was unconscious the friends feared for the worst. Hotel medical staff was alarmed and it was clear John had to be transported by helicopter to the nearest hospital. Due to the distance and possible severity of the injury transport by ground ambulance was no option. Time was not on their hand.

As you can imagine John´s friends were hysterical but as soon as the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance staff arrived they were calmed down. If there is one thing you need when an accident takes place is somebody offering calm, relaxed conversation and re-assurance and that is exactly what the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance staff offered John`s friends.

John was flown to the nearest hospital and treated according to his injury. A head injury was diagnosed but luckily John was capable to recover a 100% over time. He was lucky to say the least. Pool accidents happen quite too often with devastating results such as brain damage or being paralyzed. The speedy response from both the Hotel staff and air ambulance service were vital in saving John´s life and both John and friends were ever so grateful to the hotel staff, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance service and the superb hospital staff that received John.

This story just shows that an accident can happen anywhere and at any time of day or night. Take appropriate measurements when going on vacation and be prepared for the worst; even though the chances of accidents are extremely low.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance – 877 704 8396

viernes, 9 de julio de 2010

Neonatal Incubator Transport


Scottsdale, Arizona - For several years, the repatriation or air ambulance transport of a newborn baby to a tertiary care facility has been one of Jet Rescue Air Ambulance´s specialties. These delicate and precious patients are flown under the care of its own neonatal and pediatric intensive care specialists. Neonatal air ambulance missions at Jet Rescue Air Ambulance always include a neonatologist as well as 2 Critical Care Neonatal Nurses. In addition the team is trained in NALS (Neonatal Advanced life Support)

The missions are executed with state-of-the-art equipment, two incubators, neonatal critical care equipment and ventilators are available from our bases in Guadalajara, Mexico and Mexico City.

An incubator is an apparatus used to maintain environmental conditions suitable for a newborn baby. It is used for transporting premature or seriously ill babies.

(Possible) functions of a neonatal incubator are:
• Oxygenation, through oxygen supplementation by head hood or nasal cannula, or even continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or mechanical ventilation. Infant respiratory distress syndrome is the leading cause of death in preterm infants, and the main treatments are CPAP, in addition to administering surfactant and stabilizing the blood sugar, blood salts, and blood pressure.
• Observation: Modern neonatal intensive care involves sophisticated measurement of temperature, respiration, cardiac function, oxygenation, and brain activity.
• Protection - From cold temperature, infection, noise, drafts and excess handling.
• Nutrition - Provision of nutrition, through intravenous catheters
• Administration of medications.
• Maintaining fluid balance by providing fluid and keeping a high air humidity to prevent too great a loss from skin and respiratory evaporation.

A “transport incubator” is an incubator with the most necessary neonatal instruments in a transportable format. A transport incubator is used when a sick or premature baby has to be transported from one hospital to another. A transport incubator usually has a miniature ventilator, cardio-respiratory monitor, IV pump, pulse oxi-meter, and oxygen supply built into its frame.

As stated before Jet Rescue Air Ambulance always uses state of the art medical equipment. For Neonatal incubator transport the following equipment is used;
• 2 Draeger Ti 500 Globe Trotter incubators equipped with a Mobile Stephan R120 ventilator
• 2 Aeronox portable nitric oxide systems. The Aeronox offers continuous and uninterrupted inhaled nitric oxide administration and analysis during transport

Cancun & Emergencies

Guadalajara, Mexico - Cancun is Mexico´s most important and famous resort area. It is the ultimate vacation and resort destination for people who love to go sightseeing, do water sports or just lying in the sun getting a tan.

Millions of tourists from all over the world visit Cancun´s tropical beaches, luxury hotels and resorts, fine dining and of course its impressive archaeological “Mayan” temples and sites.

Weather

Cancun has a tropical climate with an annual mean temperature of 27.1 Degrees Celsius. When traveling to Cancun you should check if you are traveling there in- or outside of the hurricane season. Even though the hurricane season is outside of the so called high season, a large number of people will be enjoying their vacation during this period. Hotel and airplane prices are low, an advantage that tempts many people into going and spending their vacation in Cancun.

Cancun has had 4 hurricanes dropping by. Hurricane Wilma (2005), Roxanne (1995), Gilbert (1988) and Inez (1968).

As you can see the chances of an encounter with a hurricane are small to say the least. However tropical storms do take place on a more regular basis and can result in serious problems. A tropical storm is an intense thunderstorm, categorized by extremely low pressure and cyclonic wind rotation. The tropical storm season in Cancun and the Caribbean takes place in between May and December.

Safety tips

Cancun is a very safe place in Mexico. Below you will find a couple travel safety tips that you should apply when going on vacation, no matter whether you go to Cancun or some other destination;
- Mind your luggage at the airport
- Do not accept help from people you do not know.
- Put your wallet in a safe place and carry only the money necessary for the day's expenses
- Carry no more than 1 credit card
- Carry a copy of your passport on you
- Always carry the international emergency number provided by your (travel) insurance company on you.
- Do not wear too much jewelry as it could be a temptation for thieves
- Leave important documents and valuable things in the safety box at the hotel
- Be cautious with your cameras and video cameras as they are interesting objects for thieves.
- Use the taxi`s that are parked outside of the hotels or tourist places (especially at night)
- Avoid abandoned places (especially at night)
- Always try to be in the company of another person (especially at night).
- In many countries it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages on the streets. Avoid having problems with the local police.
- Do not carry illegal substances such as dugs. The Mexican police are usually very strict when it comes to drugs.

Hospitals

The Red Cross and several other organizations provide medical emergency services. There are private hospitals as well as hospitals and clinics of the Mexican Institute of the Social Security (IMSS).

In Mexico there are a lot of clinics and private physicians. The embassies and consulates handle directories with these services and they can recommend to their citizen, the attention they need.

Air ambulance Service Cancun

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance provides Domestic and Worldwide air ambulance service, 24 hours a day seven days a week. The company provides specialized medical teams to critically ill and injured patients anywhere in the world and has the capability to organize the most complex repatriation mission.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is dedicated to providing the highest standard of rapid response critical care air ambulance to the ill or injured. The specially trained doctors, nurses and paramedics use helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and ground ambulances to bring a tertiary hospital level of care to its patients.

Both fixed wing aircrafts (learjets 25 and 35) as well as A119 Agusta Koala helicopters are available to transport patients back home in order for them to receive adequate treatment. No matter where situated, we will bring you home safely..

Contact:
Jet Rescue Worldwide Air Ambulance Services
Mr. Arjan Los, Vice President of Business Development
877-704-8396 US and Canada
International Dialing:
Mexico: 01-800-830-9202
Worldwide Collect: +1-480-522-1080
operations@jet-rescue.com
7633 E. Acoma Dr.Suite 102
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States of America

miércoles, 30 de junio de 2010

Organ transportation

Scottsdale, Arizona - One of the most important services Jet Rescue Air Ambulance provides is organ transportation needed for organ transplants. Organ transplants are fast-paced medical dramas that hold the promise of a new life. In other words an organ transplant is the moving of an organ from one body to another body or from a donor site to the recipient's body, with the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ.

The medical specialists involved in transplant surgeries need lots of skill and experience. With time virtually always against them, they need a transport team they can fully count on.

The Jet Rescue Air Ambulance organ transport service operates both by road and air, depending on the distance of the transport. We have a network of over 3000 Aircraft ready to respond to any emergency, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Next to our network of aircrafts we also have a fleet of all-new, ultra-modern vehicles available to preclude mechanical failures in transit. Our vehicles are equipped with state of the art radio communications as well Global Positional Services (GPS) to track movement and ensure timely arrival at required destinations.

For Jet Rescue Air Ambulance safety is a priority. All aircrafts and vehicles are fully equipped with the latest in avionics and safety equipment. We are 24/7 ready to move medical staff and carry out organ transportation locally, nationally and also internationally.

As well as carrying out organ transportation, we can also transport coordinators and surgical teams. This to ensure that the specialists are always there where they are needed most. The specialists can be transported to the organ-procurement hospital and they can also be brought back to the organ transplant hospital after the surgery.
Jet Rescue Air ambulance service is the choice of hospitals and transplant surgeons, because the company is known for its dependability, speed and precautionary safety measures.

Jet Rescue Air Ambulance regards its relationship with its clients as more than a business association. The company feels privileged to play a crucial role in saving lives by giving medical teams and patients a strong advantage in their race against time.

Contact:
Jet Rescue Worldwide Air Ambulance Services
Mr. Arjan Los, Vice President of Business Development
877-704-8396 US and Canada
International Dialing:
Mexico: 01-800-830-9202
Worldwide Collect: +1-480-522-1080
operations@jet-rescue.com
7633 E. Acoma Dr.Suite 102
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States of America

martes, 8 de junio de 2010

The cost of an air ambulance service

Air Ambulances are fixed wing or rotor wing aircrafts meant to transport injured or seriously ill people in a fast way. The advantages of air ambulances against ground ambulances are as follows;

Distance - An air ambulance is an excellent choice for patients that require long distance transport. Air ambulances are fast and the chances of the patient arriving on time for appropriate treatment are far greater than any other means of transportation.

Remote locations - An accident can happen and take place anywhere. Imagine something bad happens while hiking in the mountains. No roads or houses nearby, only rocky terrain. In a lot of remote areas such as these the patient can simply not be reached by ground ambulance. A helicopter would be a fast and secure option to retrieve the patient from such a remote area.

The cost of an air ambulance service ranges from approximately $9.000 up to $70.000, but in general varies in every country and between each air ambulance company.
As you can see above the cost of an air ambulance service is quite expensive. How is the cost of an air ambulance service determined? There are variables that determine the exact cost of the service. Underneath we will discuss the most important variables.

Level of Care needed
Depending on the diagnosis of the patient it is decided what medical equipment will
be brought along and what level of care is needed. There are 3 levels of care:

Level I: A specially trained Physician, one Critical Care-trained Registered Nurse and a Respiratory Therapist or a Critical Care Transport Paramedic (in some cases a Nurse Practitioner may replace the Physician, and a second Registered Nurse may replace the Respiratory Therapist on the three person team).

Level II: Two Critical Care-trained Registered Nurse or Respiratory Therapist (in some cases a Nurse Practitioner may replace the Physician).

Level III: One Critical Care-trained Registered Nurse and one Critical Care Transport Paramedic.

Aircraft & Fuel usage
The operational cost varies between the different types of air ambulance airplanes. The fuel usage however is the main cost factor for an air ambulance flight and depends on the distance to be flown.

The time frame in booking an air ambulance depends on your emergency. The emergency will be analyzed by our Flight Coordination crew and if you need immediate attention, they will do everything in their power to get to you as soon as possible.
Payment

The air ambulance service can be paid cash, or by using credit card. Money orders, bank wire drafts, cashier checks, or personal checks are accepted in some cases.

Having a medical insurance or travel insurance is a must for people travelling abroad. It will ease your mind as well as the various medical and financial problems that can occur abroad.

One thing that you should remember is that the most important thing in this world is our own well-being.

Contact:
Jet Rescue Worldwide Air Ambulance Services
Mr. Arjan Los, Vice President of Business Development
877-704-8396 US and Canada
International Dialing:

Worldwide Collect: +1-480-522-1080
operations@jet-rescue.com
7633 E. Acoma Dr.Suite 102
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States of America

martes, 25 de mayo de 2010

Senior citizens abroad and air ambulance transports!

Acapulco, Mexico – Travelling abroad is a great way to spend the best years of your life. Every year thousands of senior retired citizens travel south to escape the cold winter weather in the USA and Canada. Statistics sadly enough show that senior citizens are more likely to get sick or injured while travelling.

Let´s take a look at common causes for (elderly) people needing our air ambulance service.

Respiratory Failure

Respiratory failure is a syndrome in which the respiratory system fails in one or both of its gas exchange functions. Examples of respiratory failure are cardiogenic or noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, pneumonia, and pulmonary hemorrhage.
It frequently occurs that we transport a patient diagnosed with pneumonia. Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung. It is considered a common illness which can occur in all age groups. It is however a leading cause of death amongst the elderly and people who are chronically and terminally ill.

Heart Problems

Heart problems such as heart failure is a common reason for an air ambulance transport. Heart failure is generally defined as inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the body's needs. It has various diagnostic criteria, and the term heart failure is often incorrectly used to describe other cardiac-related illnesses, such as heart attack or cardiac arrest.

People that have suffered a heart attack while on vacation need medical evacuation. Most heart attacks happen when a clot in the coronary artery blocks the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart. Often this leads to an irregular heartbeat that causes a severe decrease in the pumping function of the heart. A blockage that is not treated within a few hours causes the affected heart muscle to die.

Head Injury

A head injury is any trauma that leads to injury of the scalp, skull, or brain. The injuries can range from a minor bump on the skull to serious brain injury. Below you can find information about brain hemorrhage, a trauma that we frequently encounter at Jet Rescue.

Brain Hemorrhage is a condition caused by a sudden stroke to a person after blood leaks out from the blood vessels in the brain. This situation occurs due to the break in the wall of blood vessel, the blood spills out of the blood vessel and enters the area where vital tissues and cells of brain reside, killing those tissues and cells; this causes the patient to become seriously ill and needs immediate medication and/or treatment.

Cranial Base Fracture

A skull fracture is a break in one or more of the bones in the skull usually occurring as a result of blunt force trauma. If the force of the impact is excessive the bone may fracture at or near the site of the impact. The force of direct impact may cause damage to the underlying physical structures contained within the skull such as the membranes, blood vessels, and brain, even in the absence of a fracture.

Going on vacation is great and the chances that something will happen to you are really small. However that is not a guarantee that an accident won´t happen to you.

As always we stress that you take preventative measures before you go on vacation;
- Get a travel insurance that covers medical cost & evacuation.
- Ask your insurance company if there is a manual with standard procedures in case of emergencies such as an accident/illness.
- Always have our 24h emergency phone number on you. 01-800-681-1504 toll free from Mexico

viernes, 16 de abril de 2010

Volcanic cloud delays Jet Rescue flights from Europe

The 60km high cloud of ash that erupted from a volcano in Iceland is causing air traffic problems all over Europe. The Jet Rescue Air Ambulance transports that were supposed to take place today could sadly enough not go ahead. Until further notice the aircrafts are grounded.

Many people ask themselves what implications a volcanic cloud could have on airplanes and flights. We will give you an insight on how volcanic cloud training is addressed;

The pilots are tested on the correct implementation of the procedures underneath when a volcanic cloud is recognized by the pilot and in case the cloud could not be avoided. Each operator's flight operations manuals include more specific directions.
1. Reduce thrust to idle immediately. By reducing thrust, engines may suffer less buildup of molten debris on turbine blades and hot-section components. Idle thrust allows engines to continue producing electrical power, bleed air for pressurization, and hydraulic power for airplane control.
2. Turn the auto-throttles off. This prevents the engines from increasing thrust above idle. Ash debris in the engine can result in reduced surge margins, and limiting the number of thrust adjustments improves the chances of engine recovery.
3. Exit the ash cloud as quickly as possible. A 180-deg turn out of the ash cloud using a descending turn is the quickest exit strategy. Many ash clouds extend for hundreds of miles, so assuming that the encounter will end shortly can be false. Climbing out of the ash could result in increased engine debris buildup as the result of increased temperatures. The increased engine build-up can cause total loss of thrust.
4. Turn on engine and wing anti-ice devices and all air-conditioning packs. These actions improve the engine stall margins by increasing the flow of bleed air.
5. If possible, start the auxiliary power unit (APU). The APU can power systems in the event of a multiple-engine power loss. It can also be used to restart engines through the use of APU bleed air.
6. If volcanic dust fills the flight deck, the crew may need to use oxygen. Use flight deck oxygen at the 100 percent setting. Manual deployment of the passenger oxygen system is not required because it will deploy automatically if the cabin altitude exceeds 14,000 ft.
7. Turn on the continuous ignition. Confirm that auto-start is on, if available. In the event that the engines flame out or stall, use appropriate procedures to restart the engines. During restart, the engines may take longer than normal to reach idle thrust due to the combined effects of high altitude and volcanic ash ingestion. If an engine fails to start, try restarting it again immediately. Flight crews should remember that the airplane may be out of the air-start envelope if the encounter occurs during cruise.
8. Monitor engine exhaust gas temperature (EGT). Because of potential engine debris buildup, the EGT can climb excessively. The flight crew should prevent EGT exceedances. Shut down the engine and restart it if the EGT is approaching limits similar to a hung start.
9. Fly the airplane by monitoring airspeed and pitch attitude. If necessary, follow the procedure for flight with unreliable airspeed.

martes, 13 de abril de 2010

Jet Rescue flies home a critically ill UK patient from Cancun

Cancun, Mexico – In April 2010 Jet Rescue Air Ambulance transported on one of its air ambulances an UK tourist that had experienced serious medical problems while on a dream vacation in Cancun, Mexico.

The patient was diagnosed with the Guillain-Barre syndrome. The Guillan-Barre syndrom is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system attacks itself. This specific syndrome can occur at any age, but is most common in people between ages 25 and 50.

The Guillain-Barre syndrome causes inflammation that damages parts of nerves. This nerve damage causes tingling, muscle weakness, and paralysis. The inflammation usually affects the nerve's covering. Such damage is called demyelination. Demyelination slows nerve signaling and damage to other parts of the nerve can cause the nerve to stop working. Immediate treatment is required.

Both Cancun doctors and family decided it was better for the patient to be transported back to the UK in order to receive adequate medical care. As always it was important for Jet Rescue that the patient and its family did not get confronted with the burden of all the bureaucracy, paperwork and hassle that comes with an air ambulance transport. In Mexico the language and especially the cultural barrier can cause big delays and frustration to the patient and its family.

The Jet Rescue Air Ambulance multilingual flight coordination department made all the necessary arrangements to fly this patient back home, bedside to bedside. It sadly enough does not take much for your dream vacation to turn into a nightmare. Jet Rescue Air Ambulance always stresses for people to check if they are covered for air ambulance transportation when travelling abroad.

With the rising cost of medical fees overseas, foreign facilities not accepting US or European Insurance and sometimes sub standard medical care it is important to buy a decent travel protection plan.

A few preventative steps you should take before you actually go on your dream vacation;
- Get a travel insurance that covers medical cost & evacuation.
- Ask your insurance company if there is a manual with standard procedures in case of emergencies such as an accident/illness.
- Always have the 24h emergency phone number on you (this might be the phone number of an assistance company in case the insurance company outsourced this activity).

martes, 6 de abril de 2010

Jet Rescue´s new helicopter emergency medical service!

Mexico City - Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is proud to announce the opening of a new business unit based in Mexico City. The “Critical Air” business unit offers emergency evacuation by means of its A-119 Koala air ambulance helicopter.

Quick response teams are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in all weather conditions to ensure rapid and reliable medical retrieval in times of emergency. The helicopter, an A-119 Koala, is specially equipped to transport patients and medical crew. The helicopter can be deployed to even the most remote locations.

The A-119 Koala Helicopter is unique amongst single turbine powered helicopters, with a cabin volume that is approx 30% greater than other helicopters in its class. It has a cruise speed of 270 km/h and a maximum range of 1000 km.

The specially equipped air ambulance helicopter can accommodate up to two stretchers together with the medical crew. The internal layout includes provision for the installation of all necessary medical equipment to treat patients during transport. Two standard rails are positioned both in the cabin rear bulkhead and on upper side panels that include outlets for oxygen, emergency air and power.

Critical Air Helicopter Operations
• Urgent responses to major accidents, emergencies and neo-natal cases.
• Typical emergency scenarios include accidents where specialist on-scene medical care is required.
• Rescue of patients who find themselves in rugged terrain or remote locations.
• Helicopter retrieval incorporates both pre-hospital rescue and inter-hospital transfer services.

martes, 30 de marzo de 2010

CONTACT DETAILS :

Jet Rescue Worldwide Air Ambulance Services
Mr. Arjan Los, Vice President of Business Development
877-704-8396 US and Canada

International Dialing:
Belgium: 0800-761-34
Brazil: 0-800-891-5328
France: 0800-917563
Germany: 0800-183-0257
Guatemala - Guatemala City: +502-23560614
Luxembourg: 8002-7975
Mexico: 01-800-830-9202
Panama: 00-800-226-5686
Spain: 900-981852
United Kingdom: 0-808-120-2353
Worldwide Collect: +1-480-522-1080

E-mail:
operations@jet-rescue.com

Address:
7633 E. Acoma Dr. Suite 102
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States of America

viernes, 5 de febrero de 2010

Medical Escort Policy

This policy sets out practical guidance for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance managers and staff who organize and undertake patient transfers to and from other hospitals. The policy is designed to ensure safety for the patient, and the welfare of any member of staff involved in escort duties.

Why is this policy necessary?

Escorts may be necessary when a patient requires investigation or treatment at a hospital located far away from their current location. The escort may involve accompanying the patient to and / or from the receiving hospital. This may include a short term or long term stay for the patient.
Whatever the circumstances, escorting staff and managers need to be clear about what is expected of them, and their accountability to the patient and their employer. This policy is designed to offer advice and guidance, but cannot cover all eventualities.

General Principles

Assessment and communication of care needs before transfer
Preparation and communication are important. Whether the transfer be planned or unplanned, there should be contact between Jet Rescue Air Ambulance and the receiving hospital before the transfer, to ensure that the patient is expected, and the patient’s care needs have been explained to the receiving hospital.

It is recommended that a referral to the hospital is made in writing, preferably in advance of the journey. In an emergency a phone call may be sufficient, however in all cases a copy of a referral letter should accompany the patient. Medical and nursing notes can be brought with the patient by the escort staff, but should not be left at the receiving hospital as they are the property of Jet Rescue Air Ambulance. If necessary, photocopies of relevant medical and nursing notes should be arranged before the transfer. A transfer form, containing relevant medical and nursing information should also be completed, and can be left with the patient, as long as a copy remains in the Jet Rescue Air Ambulance medical / nursing notes.

An assessment should be made of whether the patient requires an escort, and if so, what level of staff is required. Some patients may be fit enough to travel on their own, using their own transport, or be escorted by a relative or volunteer. At the other extreme, a critical ill patient in ITU may require a full medical team. This decision should be made by the Director of Operations, seeking advice from the medical staff where necessary, and taking into account risk factors.

Duty of care
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance has a duty of care to ensure that its patients are safe. This duty of care continues while the patient is under the care of Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, which would include transit to or from a hospital.

The patient remains in the care of Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, up until the point that handover takes place between Jet Rescue Air Ambulance staff, and the receiving hospital’s staff. At the conclusion of handover, the receiving hospital should assume full responsibility for all care needs of the patient. On completion of the treatment, it should be the responsibility of the receiving hospital to ensure that the patient is reassessed and re-stabilized before handover to Jet Rescue Air Ambulance.

Should the handover be delayed beyond what it reasonably expected, the member of staff escorting the patient should draw the matter to the receiving hospital’s attention, seeking management support where necessary. Should this not resolve the issue, the escort should contact the Jet Rescue Operations Director (or out of hours, the site manager) at Jet Rescue Air Ambulance to seek their advice.


Employment issues
The role of the escorting staff is to:
1) Ensure the patient arrives at the receiving hospital safely
2) Hand over care to the receiving hospital’s staff
3) Accept hand over from the receiving hospital’s staff and to return the patient safely.

As a general rule, an employee of Jet Rescue Air Ambulance would require an employment contract in order to practice on hospital’s premises. In the case of staff visiting a hospital for practice experience or teaching, for example, an honorary contract may suffice, however this is unusual in the case of escorted patients.

As part of their duty of care, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance staff must provide care up and to the point of handover of the patient to the receiving hospital, but once handover has been effected, the receiving hospital can not provide vicarious liability to an escort nurse, unless an honorary contract is in place. Neither can Jet Rescue Air Ambulance be held liable for care given by its own staff on a hospital’s premises, once the receiving hospital has accepted a duty of care for that patient following handover. Staff is therefore strongly advised not to carry out clinical duties once the care of the patient has been handed over, even for a short period of time. They must however ensure the patient is safe before and during the period of handover.

http://www.jet-rescue.com

lunes, 18 de enero de 2010

Does your Travel Insurance cover Medical Evacuation?

Scottsdale, Arizona - No matter where you are going to on vacation or for how long, at Jet Rescue Air Ambulance we always stress that you make sure your travel insurance covers medical treatment and emergency evacuation. When searching or buying your travel insurance, don’t always assume you are covered for everything. In general travel insurances cover lost or delayed baggage, flight delays, missed departure and flight cancellation. However, more serious matters such as accidents or illness aren`t always covered.

Active vacations..
Planning an active vacation? Take into account that if you are planning an active or extreme vacation with activities such as bungee jumping, skydiving, mountain climbing or underwater sports you have run the risk that cover for injuries as a result of these activities is excluded in the travel insurance policy.

No insurance at all..
It amazes us that literally thousands of people still go on vacation abroad without having a comprehensive travel insurance and thinking that an accident or injury would never happen to them. People do not realize that yes it can happen to you or your loved ones. Having an accident or falling ill abroad could cost thousands of Dollars, Euros or Pounds if you are not properly insured.

Just to give you an insight into the costs, domestic air medical evacuation cost averages in between 10 to 20,000 US Dollars, internationally this can exceed the 80,000 US Dollar barrier. These are substantial amounts of money. If you are not covered this can result in you or your loved ones having to sell the car, house or other valuable assets. Now do we want that? No.

In case you wish to organize a medical evacuation but have doubts about your insurance coverage..
It can happen that you wish to evacuate yourself or your loved ones as soon as possible but you have doubts about your insurance coverage. In that case Jet Rescue Air Ambulance can help you out! Our Flight Coordinators will call your insurance company on your behalf and attempt to obtain pre-authorization for a medical evacuation. In addition, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance will submit all claim forms and other required documentation. If we are able to obtain an authorization from your insurance company we will not require payment at the time of service and evacuate you or your loved ones!

Do take into account that most insurance plans require that a specific medical necessity is met. This means that a physician or doctor must certify that the transportation by air ambulance is indicated and that transportation by other means may endanger the patient. Some plans require that the transport is a life threatening emergency or that the destination is the closest appropriate facility.

Be prepared..
If you have bought a comprehensive travel insurance and you are about to go on vacation, be prepared! Ask yourself if you know what to do in case of an emergency.

Some valuable tips;
- Ask your broker or insurance company if there is a manual with standard procedures in case of emergencies such as an accident/illness. Read it, know it.
- Always have the 24h emergency phone number on you (this might be the phone number of an assistance company in case the insurance company outsourced this activity).

Thanks to the excellent quality of our services Jet Rescue Air Ambulance has been chosen as an official provider for major insurance and assistance companies, around the world.

At Jet Rescue Air Ambulance we provide domestic and worldwide air ambulance service, 24 hours a day seven days a week. Our team of professionals is capable of organizing the most complex repatriation missions. If an accident or illness occurs during overseas travelling, Jet Rescue Air Ambulance will advise and transport you to the hospital of your choice. We will provide you with the safest, most reliable and hassle free air ambulance service and serve you efficiently, rapidly and cost-effective.

English Website:
http://www.jet-rescue.com

For Spanish
http://www.jetrescue.com.mx

jueves, 14 de enero de 2010

Jet Rescue flies through the winter season!

Scottsdale Arizona - Jet Rescue Air Ambulance is a company that provides domestic and worldwide air ambulance service, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The company provides specialized medical teams to critically ill and injured patients anywhere in the world and has the capability to organize the most complex repatriation missions.

Many people ask themselves how an air ambulance copes with difficult weather circumstances such as we are seeing this winter. Fast moving fronts, ice fog, strong winds, snow and flat light conditions are part of the winter period. These conditions require careful planning in order to minimize their effects. For these kinds of conditions special winter operating procedures are in place. Let us have a look at both take-off and landing as this is regarded by most people as the most delicate part of flying and aircraft

Take-off
Before an air ambulance aircraft takes off, the second officer checks if there is ice on the wings and reports his findings to the air ambulance captain. For take-off it is necessary to have the wings clear of ice or anything that will adhere to the wing and cause a reduction in lift or alter the aerodynamics of the wing. In case ice was found on the wings the captain calls in the ground crew for de-icing the air ambulance.

After a call from the air ambulance captain the ground crew heads to the air ambulance and de-ices the airplane with heated de-icing fluid which consists of Ethylene or Propylene Glycol, diluted with water. This special fluid is sprayed, under high pressure, onto the air ambulance to melt the frost, ice and snow. Once the airplane is de-iced, the air ambulance is ready for take-off. The de-icing takes place about 15 minutes before take-off.

Landing
In winter conditions the runway surface can be very treacherous. Before landing advanced information about the current conditions of the runway surface is obtained by our air ambulance captain.

When landing is in process, visibility is of the upmost importance. The air ambulance co-pilots` job is to monitor the aircraft instruments. He is in charge of making sure that the control navigation system is working correctly. The air ambulance captain is in charge of monitoring the instruments until the aircraft gets near visibility minimums. If the runway lights are in sight, and the aircraft is due to snow or rain at or above visibility minimums, the air ambulance captain will disconnect the autopilot and land the air ambulance manually.

Winter conditions such as ice fog and snow can only make flying dangerous if winter operating procedures are not in place. If you choose Jet Rescue Air Ambulance as your air ambulance provider the patient is guaranteed a smooth and safe flight, no matter what season we`re in!