LifeFlight provides a critical care team to rural emergency departments

The doctors, nurses and staff at the 109-bed Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport consider LifeFlight -- its staff, crew and helicopters -- another member of the hospital staff. A valued team member who can be trusted to get the job done.

PBMC, the leading referral hospital in Midcoast Maine, serves a largely rural area, as well as islands in Penobscot Bay. PBMC Emergency Department Director Dr. Chris Michalakes says the 'addition' of LifeFlight to the PBMC staff is crucial.

In a state where great distances can create otherwise dangerous time hurdles to successful patient outcomes, certainly time saved in transport is one very important aspect of patient care. Another is theLifeFlight crew itself. While airborne, LifeFlight critical care medical teams can provide all of the initial care that would be provided in a trauma center hospital emergency department or ground ambulance.

During transport, trauma patients often must be accompanied by a nurse or respiratory therapist, or both. If PBMC had that depletion of staff for trauma cases needing transport to another hospital -- even one person -- would be an unwanted strain, says Dr. Michalakes. With LifeFlight, PBMC's staff remains intact and the patient receives the in-flight care he or she needs.

Dr. Michalakes relates a case in point.

A car crash victim arrives at PBMC with multiple injuries beyond the scope of what hospital staff can manage. Clinic shock. Vital signs unstable. The patient's spleen is removed.

With time of the essence, the patient is then transported to a tertiary care center via LifeFlight, where the crew and its helicopter can serve as a flying intensive care unit.

"LifeFlight is about as close as you can get to an actual hospital. They bring a higher level of care to rural Maine hospitals in the most efficient way," says Dr. Michalakes.

Dr. Michalakes  recently joined LifeFlight's 17-member clinical practice committee. His work will mirror, on a clinical and quality improvement level, what LifeFlight already provides to PBMC.

"LifeFlight is known in their world to be cutting edge. The standards they maintain. The personnel they have. It's important to maintain these professional connections, for the good of our hospital and for the good of LifeFlight," says Dr. Michalakes.