[faith]

The article in Saturday’s paper (Aug 15.) about the new life watch team, Midwest Lifeteam, that the hospital is and has been using for a few months upset me. Why are there two air ambulances being used at the hospital? Dodge City already has an air ambulance unit based within Ford County. Lifeteam does not hold its base in Ford County, but rather it is run out of Great Bend, Emporia, Liberal, and Hutchison. They only have a chopper pad located in Dodge City. Eagle Med is decidedly the closer unit, so why does it lie dormant? I understand that Midwest Lifeteam is supposed to help rural areas get to major hospitals faster. However, In the time it takes for the Lifeteam to: receive the call, get ready, fuel the helicopter, inspect it for flight, fly from the air base to the patient’s hospital\location, and finally to the hospital that they are suppose to be at, the ambulance could be half way, or possibly, to the hospital with the patient. Eagle Med could be there waiting on them to take the patient to the awaiting hospital.

This article also left me with a few questions:
Does the patient or the patient’s family get to decide which air ambulance they use? Are they told the price differences between the two services? I also read that the service covers part of Oklahoma and Colorado, would the plane not have to refuel along the way? If so, how long would that take? I would like to know if precious minutes are wasted that could be spent more appropriately.

I would like to bring up the point that Eagle Med has a higher certification than Lifeteam, in that Eagle Med has paramedics and nurses to assist the patient and Lifeteam does not. They only use EMTs and nurses, which means they are limited in what services they can provide for the patient.

In the article it stated that ALL EMS personnel are excited and want the Lifeteam. I know several of the EMS personnel in Dodge City and in surrounding towns who are NOT happy about the service and do not want Lifeteam. These men and women have been happy with Eagle Med, and do not see the point in changing a system that works very well. It seems to me that the part ownership of two ER doctors of Lifeteam has caused this unfavorable change. If this is the case, it is not a sufficient reason to change air ambulance units. This change should only be made if it is TRULY good for the community as a whole. Eagle Med is located in Dodge City, has the support of the local EMS, and does a great job. What need is there of a second service that seems more of a risk than an advantage.