October 01, 2003

A New Era In Air Ambulance Care Begins In The Quad Cities

Davenport, IA - A new generation of health care has landed in the Quad Cities. MED-FORCE air ambulance service unveiled its new helicopter today at Genesis Medical Center's East campus.

The EC135/T2 is a lighter aircraft that combines Eurocopter's advanced design in avionics and layout, giving it outstanding maneuverability. This twin-engine aircraft offers a unique four-blade rotor and closed rear tail rotor technology that makes it the quietest helicopter in its class.

The helicopter, which is leased from Corporate Jets, of Pittsburgh, has an excellent safety record. It can carry two patients and three medical attendants and fly as fast as 150 mph. "We chose this aircraft because it meets all our mission's needs," said Kevin Takacs, president and chief executive officer of MED-FORCE. "The EC135/T2 has an excellent safety record, larger flight staff capacity and has advanced technology. These are all key when it comes to providing quality emergency medical services."

This helicopter replaces the BELL 222, which has been in service since December of 2000. "We reached a point where day-to-day maintenance and upkeep were costing us more than the purchase of a new helicopter," added Takacs. One of the major differences between the EC135/T2 and the BELL 222 is the rear loading system. This aircraft comes with its own cots, which are loaded and unloaded from the rear of the helicopter instead of the side. This means patients will not be transferred from one cot to another, making it less stressful on those who are critically ill.

In addition to a superior helicopter, MED-FORCE's rigorously trained crew has expertise in transporting cardiac, pulmonary, critical care and neurological patients. "A number of the nurses and physicians on the MED-FORCE team also work within Genesis Health System," noted Frank Claudy, M.D., Vice President of Medical Staff Affairs at Genesis Medical Center and MED-FORCE board member. "We feel this connection provides a continuity of care that results in better patient outcomes."

Better patient outcomes and extensive training have paid off. Earlier this year, MED-FORCE surpassed its 1,000th flight milestone. "Our initial forecasts for success were predicated on one flight per day - that was the basic model that we used," said Richard Sadler, M.D., Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, P.C., and medical director for MED-FORCE. "That's three years to hit about 1,000 flights. Yet, we made the 1,000th flight at 2.5 years - 6 months ahead of schedule. We consider that a very significant milestone."

MED-FORCE is a non-profit helicopter service that serves a 90-mile radius in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. It is supported by Genesis Health System and other area health care and community organizations. Genesis Medical Center serves as medical control for calls originating in Iowa. Illini Hospital is the resource hospital for all Illinois-based calls, with medical control under the direction of Illini Emergency Medicine Physicians. Medic EMS of Davenport handles dispatching. MED-FORCE is based out of Colona, Illinois.