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HealthWellnessAirAmbulance7TuesdayMarch122013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAcoalitionofAlbertadoctorsmedevacpilotsandruraladvocatesisstillurgingtheprovincialgov-ernmenttoreconsideritsplanstomoveairambulanceservicestotheEdmontonInternationalAirportnearLeducdespiteattemptsbyPremierAlisonRedfordtoquellworries.RedfordreleasedavideoonTuesdayclaimingthequal-ityofcarewillnotchangewhenmedevacservicesaremovedtotheinternationalairportfollowingtheCityofEdmontonsdecisiontoclosethemunicipalairportonMar.15.IwanttoreassureyouthattheprovinceofAlbertahasacontingencyplanandwewillnotcompromiseonourresponsibilityforyourqualityofhealthcareshesaid.Thatswhyinprepa-rationfortheairportsclo-sureweinstructedaHealthQualityCouncilofAlbertatoreviewthestepsweneedtotaketoensurepatientsafety.Shesaidtherewillbeapatientcareareaon-siteadedicatedon-groundam-bulancefleetandaddi-tionalspaceinthehangarforpatientstobemovedindoorsandthemostur-gentpatientswillbeflowntohospitalbySTARSheli-copter.Thesituationattheinternationalairportwillbeadramaticimprovementoverwhatiscurrentlyof-feredsheadded.Around80percentofpa-tientsfromnorthernAlbertausemedevacservicesforscheduledproceduresorforadmissiontoahigherlevelofcaresoinotherwordsnotforemergencies.AnewbaseatEdmontonInterna-tionalAirportwillallowthemtomakethatjourneyingreatercomfortthaneverRedfordsaid.ButthegroupcalledSaveOurMedevacSer-vicesisstillrequestingtheprovincecomeupwithadifferentplan.LedbyDr.KerryPawluskithecoali-tionheldapublicmeetinginColdLakelastTuesdaynighttoagaindiscussitsconcernsthatthetransferofmedevacserviceswillputNorthernandrurallivesatrisk.Themeetingfollowedthereleaseofanopenlet-tertoAlbertansonMondaysignedby36frontlinedoc-tors-primarilyfromFortMcMurrayGrandePrairieandLacLaBiche-whoarecallingforthepublictoraisethealarmonthemedevacrelocationplan.CurrentlypatientsfromnorthernAlbertaortheNWTwhorequireurgentcareoutsidetheboundsoftheirruralhealthcentresarerushedtotheRoyalDoctorsunconvincedmedevacmovewonthinderhealthEdmontonairambulanceservicemovingtoLeducairportonMar.15Evenintheidealconditionswhenthehelicopteristheretheresnoblizzardeverythingsperfectitsstillgoingtobeaddedtimebeyondwhatwehavetoday.Weregoingfromthebesttotheworst.Dr.KerryPawluskiAlexandraStolleryChil-drensorUniversityofAl-bertahospitalsinEdmontonbywayof12xed-wingairambulances.ThedoctorssaythemainissueliesintimingastheSTARShelicopterservicesdonotoffertherangeorspeedofthefixed-wingplanes.Inemergencymedicinetimemattersandminutescounttheletterstates.Anaddedtransportdelayof30minutescanmakethediffer-enceastowhetherthepatientsurvivesorsuffersnegativehealthoutcomes.CityCentreAirportwhichwillcontinuetobeopera-tionalwellinto2014untiltheprovincecanfindasolutionthatguaranteespatientsthesametimelyaccesstothelifesavingequipmentandspecialiststhattheyhavetoday.Theimmediateplansforredevelopmentonlyin-volvetheNAITNorthernAlbertaInstituteofTech-nologyexpansionandtheLRTLightRailTransitline.ThatdoesnotaffectoperationsattheairportsoIdontunderstandwhytheprovincialgovernmenthasofAlbertafoundthatal-most4000patientsarrivedatEdmontonsCityCen-treAirportin2010byairambulanceandthat1779ofthosewerecriticalortime-dependent.Thisisnotfear-monger-ingordoctorsbeingirre-sponsibleassomepoliticiansaresuggestingPawluskisaid.Werejustprovidingfactualinformation.OnthecontraryPawluskisaidtheprovincialgovern-mentismisleadingthepublicaboutitscompliancewiththeHealthQualityCouncils18recommendationsforairam-bulanceservicessuchastheneedforadedicatedlaneforambulancesonthehighwayanoverpassandanalternateairportrunwaywithincitylimitsamongothers.Pawluskisaidhehopesthegovernmentmakesaturn-aroundbeforeMar.15whenthenewplanisimplemented.Theyhaveeverytooltomakethathappen.Theycanrescindthisdecisionthisafter-nooniftheywanttohesaid.ThephysiciansclaimthemovetotheLeducairportwillnearlydoublethetimeittakestogetcare.STARSspokespersonCamHekealsoadmittedpubliclythatheisunsurewhetherornotthecompanywillbeabletodealwiththeincreasedpressureonitsservices.Evenintheidealcondi-tionswhenthehelicopteristheretheresnobliz-zardeverythingsperfectitsstillgoingtobeaddedtimebeyondwhatwehavetodayPawluskitoldTheJournal.Weregoingfromthebesttotheworst.InsteadherecommendsmaintainingthesafestandquickestroutethroughthedecidedtogoaheadwiththisPawluskisaid.Hesaidtheprovincialgovernmentislowballingthenumbersonpatientsac-cessingcriticalairambu-lanceservices.Whilethegovernmenthassaidonly60patientsayearrequiretime-criticalmedevaccareLacLaBichephysicianDr.RichardBirkhillsaidhemedevaced120criticalpatientsfromhisemergencyroomalonelastyear.Eveniftherewerevepatientsthatweretimesensi-tivepermonth...theyresay-ing60deathsayearisokayPawluskiargued.AnindependentstudybytheHealthQualityCouncil13032KA0NEWMEDEVACBASEOPENSAsofMarch15allmedevacflightsfromnorthernAlbertawilllandatEdmontonInternationalAirport.Patientswillcontinuetohaveaccesstorapidreliableandsafeemergencycare.Eightypercentofmedevacflightsarepatienttransfersnotemergencies.JustfivepatientsamontharetrulytimesensitivewhereadelayingettingtoahospitalcouldaffecttheiroutcomeforthosepatientsSTARShelicoptercanflythemdirectlytohospital.Wevealreadyflown62patientsfromnorthernAlbertatoEdmontonInternationalAirportwithoutanyimpacttotheirhealth.AlbertaHealthServicesknowsthisisapersonalissuetomanyandunderstandshowcriticalthisserviceis.Whenyouneedemergencycarewewillbethere.Formoreinformationvisitwww.albertahealthservices.caemsPhotoscourtesyofSaveOurMedevacServicesAlbertasairambulanceserviceiscurrentlyperformedbyaeetof12xed-wingaircraft.FollowingthemovetoLeductheservicewillbedonebyhelicopter.BruceMcLaughlinformerNWTHealthMinisteraddressesaLacLaBicheaudienceduringoneofSaveOurMedevacServicespublicmeetings.