Air Evac Lifeteam, the largest independently owned and operated air medical service provider in the United States, was recently awarded a three-year certification from CECBEMS.

Jennifer Fletcher, director of patient care services and staff development for Air Evac Lifeteam, said the company is one of the biggest providers of continuing education in the country. In 2012, Air Evac Lifeteam taught more than 1700 continuing education classes to 34,748 students. Those students earned 20,598 CECBEMS hours. Certification courses include the following: American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid with CPR AED, Basic Life Support for the Healthcare Provider, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Pediatric Emergency Assessment Recognition and Stabilization. Air Evac Lifeteam also offers courses on Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support, Advanced Medical Life Support, Trauma First Response, and more.

“We look at this as a service that we can provide to our customers,” Fletcher said. “We offer continuing education for medical personnel, including nurses and paramedics, along with first responders and volunteers. Our goal is to make certain our employees, as well as our hospital and EMS partners, have access to the latest information regarding patient care trends. Outreach education helps ensure patients with life-threatening emergencies get the care they need when they need it.”

CECBEMS, Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services, conducted a site survey at Air Evac Lifeteam in February. “They reviewed records and interviewed key personnel to confirm our program is consistent with their accreditation standards,” Fletcher said.