Aims For Gains In Low-Altitude Infrastructure, Protecting Patients, Advancing Air Ambulance Safety

Establishing a congressional air-medical caucus, achieving greater federal funding levels to support the low-altitude infrastructure, passing proposed air-medical safety legislation, increasing air-ambulance Medicare reimbursement rates, and addressing regional disparities in access to trauma services caused by inadequate Medicaid reimbursement were some of the many issues that air-medical services leaders focused on during the Association of Air-Medical Services' Capitol Hill congressional briefings last week.

The lobbying sessions were part of the annual spring conference of the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS), held March 11-13 in Washington, DC. The conference provided the opportunity for air medical crew members to learn about the operational and legislative issues that directly affect medical transport programs nationwide, and to bring about improvements in the national legislative and regulatory arenas.

"A chief goal of AAMS' spring conference and lobby day was to educate policy and lawmakers regarding the need to direct more federal funding towards improving the low-altitude infrastructure," said AAMS President Sandy Kinkade. "Currently, low-altitude aviators do not have access to the same supportive components that exist within the general-aviation infrastructure, which was built specifically for scheduled, commercial airlines – an omission that puts EMS helicopters in particular at a distinct disadvantage."

Also important, Kinkade noted, is "securing federal funding for remote weather stations that would help bridge a ‘weather-reporting gap.' Such funding would be directed towards increasing the number of off-airport or small-airport automated weather stations and adding weather-reporting technology to hospital helipads."

In addition to lobby day, other highlights of the three-day conference included:

• A briefing from Robert Sumwalt, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) board member and helicopter emergency medical services (EMS) safety hearings board of inquiry chairperson,regarding the outcome of and next steps following the February 3-6 NTSB hearing in Washington, DC.
• A discussion with John McGraw, FAA, deputy director, slight standards service, regarding the latest rules, policies and activities of the FAA as they pertain to aviation in air medical services and aviation safety, including recent developments in FAA rulemaking and initiatives stemming from the NTSB's helicopter EMS safety hearing.
• A Capitol Hill awards ceremony honoring Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Drew Dawson, director, Office of Emergency Medical services, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as the 2009 recipients of the AAMS Public Service Award. In addition, Hector Murillo, RN, representing Children's Medical Center of Dallas Transport Services, was presented with AAMS' Community Service Award for its "Know Before You Go" water-safety program.
• The announcement of a new family grant fund to benefit families of crewmembers and patients killed or seriously injured in air-medical accidents; the fund was established by the Foundation for Air-Medical Research and Education (FARE), with lead grants from donors totaling more than $25,000 to date.

FMI: www.aams.org