BSA Health System and Apollo MedFlight unveiled its newest aircraft to expand capabilities for neonatal care.
The new Apollo MedFlight Bell 407 helicopter is a game-changer for care, giving more flexibility in time critical situations for NICU care.
“That’s something difficult to provide in rural hospitals, so you need a tertiary care facility where all those patients can be transferred to. So Amarillo, being one of the hubs for the region, this is something that is important to be able to quickly go out and get those patients and bring them back here for a higher level of care,” said Brandon Leasure, Apollo chief commercial officer.
This specially equipped helicopter can take off and land directly on a hospital’s helipad, allowing for hospital to hospital transport.
In the past, patients relied on ground transport via ambulances, facing potentially life-threatening delays.
“These babies are delicate to start with, so they are already in a medical condition that is potentially dangerous. So the speed and timeliness is important to get the care they need as quickly as they can,” said Matt Parker, vice president, BSA Health System.
This also helps keep rural patients closer to home.
“A lot of times they would have to be flown further down south, so they might be far from their home. They might have to go down to Dallas, Houston or Austin for a bigger facility. So having a level three facility in Amarillo is really nice because we have all the little, local communities around and we are able to keep them pretty local so they aren’t having to travel as far,” said Jamie Milton, NICU nurse manager.
This new helicopter isn’t just a mode of transportation. It’s a lifeline, equipped with everything you’d find in a hospital.
There is a whole team during transport that includes a NICU provider, NICU nurse, NICU respiratory therapist and an Apollo MedFlight crew member.
They have access to state-of-the-art equipment such as ventilators, monitors, IV pumps and isolettes.
The team and helicopter is available 24/7/365 to ensure newborns get the treatment they need.
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