Wausau Pilot & Review
A new advanced aircraft is joining the Aspirus MedEvac fleet to address the critical need for air medical transport in caring for patients in life-threatening medical situations.
The twin-engine Airbus H135 helicopter arrived at the MedEvac hangar at Central Wisconsin Airport this week to begin its inauguration into service. After crew training is complete the helicopter will officially begin operations on Monday, December 5 as MedEvac Air 1 when it travels to its home base at the Aspirus-owned Howard Young Medical Center in Woodruff.
The H135 is considered state-of-the-art for air medical operations, with the Aspirus helicopter being only the 4th in service nationally. It is equipped with the Airbus Helicopters’ Helionix avionics suite which provides sophisticated technologies that allow for greater operational safety to improve pilots’ situational awareness.
Also included in the avionics suite are a GPS navigation and communication system, traffic advisory notification, terrain avoidance capabilities, and synthetic vision cockpit technology.
“In addition to the enhanced technical capabilities the H135 offers increased size, weight and fuel capacity, that provides an increased flight range from the current aircraft, which it is replacing,” said Charles Kotke, Manager- MedEvac Air and North Region. “It also offers rear patient loading with a self-contained stretcher that makes getting the patients into the aircraft faster and more efficient.”
But before any patient transport begins, crews are participating in training to learn the new configuration of the aircraft, crew resource management, a refreshed course on enhanced night vision goggle utilization and overall, familiarizing themselves with the new helicopter.
“It is important that the crews become comfortable operating in the new care environment to provide the best level of care to our patients,” Kotke said. “With the new cabin being much larger, it allows the flight crews better direct access to the patient during the flight to provide emergency care”.
In tribute to its home base in Woodruff, the Aspirus MedEvac Air 1 has chosen the unique tail number for the aircraft of N240-HY. With “240” being the Maple Street address of the medical center and “HY” for Howard Young.
Aspirus MedEvac is a team of more than 250 emergency service providers, that supports 13 interfacility ground bases, two air medical helicopters, and nine, 911 bases from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Portage in Southern Wisconsin. Aspirus MedEvac has been accredited by the National Accreditation Alliance of Medical Transport Applications (NAAMTA) since 2015 and is the first hospital-based program in the NAAMTA Alliance and the first program to meet 100 percent compliance in the inspection process for both accreditation cycles.
