By John Chambers/Tribune-Star
Terre Haute's two hospitals are basing emergency flight in the city and surrounding communities.
Terre Haute Regional Hospital became partners with Air Evac Lifeteam of West Plains, Mo., the first week of June.
The hospital recently finished construction on a $25,000 landing pad for helicopter service that extends to medical scenes within a 70-mile radius.
"We don't just do transfer" to other facilities, said Donna Eversole, nurse supervisor at Air Evac's Brazil base. "It's an ambulance without wheels."
Union Hospital Health Group does not yet have a helicopter base.
"I can say air service is in our very near future," said spokeswoman Kristi Roshel.
Clarian Health Partners will base a Lifeline helicopter at Union on Aug. 1 and another in Greensburg on Sept. 1, according to an article in the Indianapolis Star in early June.
Regional's partnership is designed to be especially beneficial to heart-attack patients who could be admitted in the hospital's cardiac catheterization lab at any time of the day.
It is not a monetary agreement. Medical helicopters typically earn revenue from billing insurers.
"It's a partnership in what I would consider the true meaning," said Ken Hutchenrider, the hospital's chief executive officer. "The definite goal is to be in our cath lab 120 minutes from onset."
Studies have shown that a patient's quality of life dramatically decreases if they need lab procedures after serious chest pain and have to wait more than two hours, said Dr. Kayur Patel at Regional.
"We've had the technology for years, but the only gist of this is how to do it quicker," he said in emergency situations that can be chaotic. "We're just trying to organize the chaos, really."
He said medical helicopters used to be used more in extreme cases such as a gunshot wound to the chest, but 80 percent of flights now are cardiac-related since studies showed more benefits of quick treatment.
Patel said Regional's facilities can be prepared through coordinated steps after an emergency call.
"It took several months for this to snowball and everything," said Tim Lowe, Air Evac's Indiana air manager.
He said the independent air ambulance service approached Regional in February.
"All bases combined, we'll look at flying one patient a day to Regional Hospital," Lowe said.
Besides Brazil, Air Evac's nearby bases are in Washington, Ind., and Evansville.
Its partnership with Regional already has been used to treat three patients, Hutchenrider said Monday.