Air Methods / Conemaugh Medstar operates a BK-117 aircraft.  The helicopter is based in Somerset County.

The Medstar helicopter is equipped with state of the art VFR avionics, including the Garmin 430 / 530 Navigation Stack, Technisonic Multiband Radios, and TCAS Warning System. This aircraft is enhanced for crew safety, including wire strike guides, and Night Vision configuration.

For scene responses, patients are transported to the closest appropriate facility, based on specific patient need and clinical criteria, for example, Regional Trauma Centers, Burn Centers, or Pediatric Centers.

Interfacility requests are transferred to any receiving facility, based on patient/family needs and referring physician certification of medical necessity.

Medstar is also the aircraft provider for the Regional Intensive Care Nursery Team at Conemaugh. RICN flight teams are complemented by Nurse Practitioners, Respiratory Therapists, and Neonatologists from Conemaugh.

Learn more about the Regional Intensive Care Nursery by clicking here.

Medstar will assist local Fire / Rescue / EMS agencies with search details on a case by case basis, weather permitting. We DO NOT perform any type of rescue, or law enforcement missions.

 

The medical interior is configured for single patient Critical Care transport. This allows the team to focus on the needs of just one critically ill or injured patient at a time, improving overall patient outcomes. Our entire complement of medical equipment is duplicated at our base in Somerset, and the Conemaugh Helipad. This allows for a rapid turn-around, allowing us to become mission ready, with minimal down time.

Our medical equipment includes the Life Pack 12 Monitor / Pacer / Defibrillator, with 12 Lead and Telemetry capability, a Parapac ventilator, Baxter infusion pumps, EZ-IO access device, Sof-Sac IV warmer, and mission bag. The mission bag contains our Airway / Intubation kit, including Combitubes, and King LTD airways.  This bag also contains special procedures kits for surgical airways, burn escharotomies, and neonate resuscitation.

Medications include a full line of Rapid Sequence Induction medications used for sedation and chemical paralysis, in difficult airway management.  Current AHA ACLS medications are stocked, as well as other vasopressors and cardiac medications,  not carried by ALS ground ambulances.

The Medstar team also carries 2 units of Packed Red Blood Cells.

Just like a ground ambulance, the Medstar helicopter has on-board oxygen and suction.

 

The Flight Nurses and Flight Paramedics operate within a set of advanced protocols, that are locally, regionally and Nationally accepted. We are in contact with Conemaugh Medical Command Physicians for additional supervison, guidance and consultation.