Air Repatriation is a Critical Component of the Healthcare Solutions Offered by Medavie EMS

Imagine a family member is hospitalized during a vacation or while working away from home. This is a particularly stressful situation for families who must find out about the patient’s condition, deal with uncertainty, and manage important decisions – all while being hundreds or even thousands of miles away from their loved one. In many circumstances this also results in the added stress of determining how the patient can be transported back home to their family. This is particularly difficult when the nature of the patient’s illness or injuries preclude transportation on a commercial flight. This situation can be a real and frequent occurrence that significantly impacts families around the globe every day. It is also the central reason behind the existence of Medavie EMS’ Medical Escort and Repatriation Services.

The current air services that are owned and operated by Medavie EMS are continuation of a program that commenced in the early 2000s. “That service was really designed out of necessity,” said Rob Boudreau who is the Service Coordinator through his role as Manager of Community Learning & Special Projects. The program was sparked when a patient requiring transportation to Vancouver was frustrated by the lack of options that were available to assist him to return home. “Everyone kept telling him no,” explained Rob, which resulted in a decision to develop a support mechanism that could assist patients in similar circumstances. This presented a quick solution to a patient in need that allowed him to return to his home province.  It was also the start of a service which continued to evolve over the subsequent 6-7 years.

Currently, the service focuses on either providing medical escorts to patients that are able to fly commercially but require a minimal level of monitoring, or on the direct care and transport of stable patients whose needs cannot be met on a commercial flight. Patients in the latter circumstances are currently transported on a King Air 200 aircraft that is provided by Provincial Airlines Limited and located at the Halifax International Airport. It has been specially configured and supplied so that patients are comfortable and that staff have access to all the required patient care equipment. This ensures that the service is able to transport patients in a safe and effective manner.

All prospective clients of the service are thoroughly screened through direct discussions with the patient, family, and care providers as well as through the use of pre-flight questionnaires. In addition, all decisions with respect to the provision of services are made in close collaboration with the program Medical Director. This ensures that the service is a good match with the needs of the patient. All medical escorts are conducted by either a flight nurse or a paramedic (at a critical care or advanced care level) and medical transports are conducted by the appropriate team comprised of this staff. These individuals are highly skilled clinicians that attend to patients while also thriving in the unique aero-medical environment. To date, our staff has been involved with approximately 30 flights including locations such as Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Boston, as well as, assisting police with the extradition of prisoners with on-going medical needs.
 
It is important to note, that while the focal point of Medavie EMS’ Medical Escort & Repatriation Services is transportation via aircraft, it is committed to helping patients and their families to explore all of their options. “It’s all about getting these people home,” explained Rob. In one case this led to staff assisting a patient to be repatriated in an RV. This was a unique solution to the patient’s situation which resulted in the same outcome as a commercial or chartered flight. This reflects the desire of staff to help patients, even those who are able to use the services offered by Medavie EMS. Financial considerations are a stark realty in the use of air ambulances. A chartered flight is expensive and can be very cost prohibitive for families without any third-party coverage or support. Typically flights are covered by the patient’s employer, hospital, home province, or insurance provider. However, there are situations where the cost is fully borne by the patient and their family. “This is why we strongly encourage everyone travelling outside of their home province to consider purchasing travel insurance,” added Rob.

Medical Escort & Repatriation Services are strongly entrenched in Medavie EMS’ culture of providing practical and meaningful health care solutions. This service also compliments the high level of patient care that is available through the Medavie EMS pre-hospital emergency medical service operations. These services excel in caring for and transporting patients within their respect service areas, however, they can be challenged when their residents require care in another province or country. The Medical Escort & Air Repatriation Service, however, is not bound by geographical and contractual considerations. This means that Medavie EMS can effectively extend the coverage of these pre-hospital operations and export the same level of patient care that residents would experience in their home province to anywhere in the world. This is a profound comfort to families experiencing very difficult circumstances. “The response from the patient and their families cannot be beat,” explained Rob, “getting their loved one home is the most important thing to them.”

Since its inception, the Medical Escort & Air Repatriation services have helped numerous patients traveling to, from, within, and outside Atlantic Canada. In the future, the service will continue to work with patients and their families in order to ensure that they are aware of all of their options and that all clients are transported in a safe and reliable manner. This dedication along with the strong and diverse clinical skills of flight nurses and paramedics is what sets the Medavie EMS Medical Escort & Repatriation solution apart from other transportation services.  It can be reached by contacting Medavie EMS at 1-877-732-8354.