Jan. 28--Kathy Hilton of Dillon beamed with exhilaration after disembarking from the sleek Koala medical helicopter Monday at Bert Mooney Airport.
The aircraft is part of the Life Flight Network, which started operations at its new base in Butte on Monday.
"It's smoother than a car and quiet," said Hilton, a volunteer paramedic with the Beaverhead Emergency Medical Services Ambulance. "There's so much room and access to your patient. Plus they circled my house in Dillon."
Her flight landed at Barrett Hospital and Healthcare in Dillon to introduce the crew and company to staff. Then, Hilton and volunteer EMS colleague Brenda Kirkley, who had boarded in Butte, switched places.
The flight back to Butte took 20 minutes, said Dominic Pomponio, regional director from Lewiston, Idaho, who was in town with other key players to jump-start the new service.
"We're basically an independent agency," said Pomponio, a veteran flight nurse. "We'll take individuals whenever they need to be dropped off."
That includes St. James Healthcare, according to Pomponio, who said Life Flight has talked with St. James emergency room staff concerning use of the new Butte-based service.
Linda McGillen, St. James Healthcare spokeswoman, said the hospital is negotiating with a different air ambulance company, and the status of its relationship with Life Flight Network will be clarified soon.
Meanwhile, St. James uses the services of Summit Air Ambulance of Bozeman, she added.
The Koala five-person capacity copter holds top-of-the-line medical equipment, including a ventilator, cardiac monitor, IV infusion pump and other must-haves.
On board Monday were pilot Brandon Hiller of La Grande, Ore., paramedic John Kelly of Sandpoint, Idaho, Hilton and Pomponio.
The nonprofit Life Flight Network, with administrative officers in Aurora, Ore., has served Libby in northwestern Montana for the past 18 months and Eastern Idaho. With the expansion into Butte, the company plans to better serve critically ill patients throughout the area, said Pomponio.
"We're a lot like the fire department," he added. "We're available when they need us."
The LFN crew will be available for on-the-scene calls, hospital calls and calls between hospitals when a patient needs transport to a different facility.
Besides Barrett Hospital in Dillon, the 24/7 air ambulance will serve Community Hospital in Anaconda and Deer Lodge Medical Center, as well.
The service is expected to increase response times to medical emergencies that require helicopters. It will serve a 150-mile radius, including Lima, among other towns.
The AW119Kx Koala can reach about 160 miles per hour, reducing flight times.
"The aircraft and critical care team resembles a mobile emergency department or intensive care unit," Pomponio said.
When the hiring of a part-time nurse and a part-time paramedic is done, LFN will have 14 employees on staff in Butte. Payroll and benefits are expected to exceed $1 million per year.
So far the company has four nurses, four paramedics, four pilots and one mechanic, said Pomponio.
The new hires may commute or choose to live in Butte, he added.
Training wraps up this week, then assigned staff officially start work next week.
Like Hilton, Pomponio was invigorated by the Monday afternoon flight.
"It's beautiful," said Pomponio after pilot Hiller landed the craft squarely on a 12-by-12 foot dolly next to a hangar at Bert Mooney Airport.
Pomponio was especially struck by the mountains and expansive grandeur of a clear 25-degree day in Southwest Montana.
"It's amazing country around here," Pomponio said. "Flying here is a different experience."
Contact Birkenbuel at [email protected] or 406-496-5512.
Life Flight Network shows off new operation in Butte this afternoon
The new Life Flight Network took off today in Butte in order to better serve the city and Rural areas in Southwest Montana.
Dominic Pomponio, LFN regional director and an experienced flight nurse, said that seven employees are in training today for the 24/7 ambulance service that features a sleek AgusyaWestland 119Kx Koala air medical helicopter.
Pilot Brandon Hiller of LeGrande, Ore., Pomponio of Lewiston, Idaho, paramedic John Kelley of Sand Point, Idaho, and Kathy Hilton, volunteer with Beaverhead EMS Ambulance in Dillon, took the 20-minute ride back from Dillon after the copter landed at Barrett Hospital to introduce the crew.
While 14 employees will be hired, seven came from St. Pat's Hospital in Missoula today for the first week of training.
Service actually starts next week, said Pomponio, for Southwest Montana rural hospitals.
For more of the story, check back here later, or see Tuesday's Montana Standard and this website.
BACKGROUND STORY:
Life Flight Network today announced the opening of its newest base of operations at the Bert Mooney Airport.
The base is home to a new AgustaWestland 119Kx "Koala" air medical helicopter, and 14 employees. The helicopter will extend air ambulance service to more communities in Montana and Eastern Idaho, allowing for faster medical response and improved patient outcomes.
The base is staffed 24 / 7 by flight nurses, flight paramedics, pilots and mechanics, and is available to respond within minutes of receiving a call for help. The payroll and benefits for the personnel exceeds $1 million per year, according to a news release from the company.
Michael Griffiths, LFN's CEO, states, "The citizens of Butte and the surrounding areas have welcomed us into the community. We are pleased to partner with area hospitals, and emergency responders to provide a resource that will greatly enhance patient care for the citizens of Butte and Montana."
Dominic Pomponio, LFN's Regional Director, said, "The Koala helicopter is the perfect aircraft in situations when critical care transport is needed and time is of the essence. It travels at roughly 160 miles per hour, greatly reducing the amount of time it takes for us reach seriously ill or injured patients throughout the region.
"The aircraft and critical care team resembles a mobile Emergency Department or Intensive Care Unit. We carry the most common medications administered in an ED or ICU, and can provide a similar level of care."
LFN, the nation's largest not-for-profit air medical transport service, is owned by a consortium of four health systems, including Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Oregon Health & Science University and Providence Health System-Oregon.
Copyright 2014 - The Montana Standard, Butte
