Avstar Media, a provider of web-based training solutions for medical helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft pilots, has made a $10,000 pledge to MedEvac Foundation International for safety-related initiatives.

“We are thrilled we can assist MedEvac Foundation International with this monetary gift that will help make medevac transport safer,” said Tom Ramirez, president of Avstar Media in Dallas, Texas. “As the premier provider of aviation and air medical web-based training, Avstar Media provides service to most of the major operators, the air medical programs at the major hospitals and persons involved in their programs. Whether general medevac aircraft operations or flight safety specifics, Avstar Media provides a comprehensive state-of-the-art web-based version of the essential aviation training crews need – designed and developed by aviation and air medical professionals.”

“MedEvac Foundation International greatly appreciates this generous donation from Avstar Media,” said MedEvac Foundation International chair, Kevin Hutton, MD. “This funding goes a long way toward achieving the mission and vision of the Foundation, which is in part to enhance safety of medevac operations – both air and ground – worldwide, through research, education, outreach and charitable services.”

Added Ramirez: “I’ve been in the medevac transport industry for 30 years, and I think the MedEvac Foundation does an excellent job of working to improve safety. I also am amazed at the great work that is being done every day by so many dedicated people to save countless lives, and I will always be proud to play a small part in it.”

The Avstar Media donation will be applied toward safety-oriented research and education initiatives the Foundation supports, including:

• a comparison of the clinical performance of medevac helicopter crews who work 12 vs. 24-hour shifts;
• a curriculum using simulation-based scenarios to assist in employing crisis resources during transport;
• an air-medical-transport online curriculum designed to encourage appropriate utilization by medical providers in hospitals; and
• education regarding appropriate HEMS utilization for trauma patients flown from the scene.

The donation also will go toward supporting the Foundation’s Family Grant Fund, which provides financial assistance to families following a fatal air-medical crash, and its Children’s Scholarship Fund, which supports higher education for children who have lost a parent or guardian as a result of an air-medical accident.

Avstar Media is currently exhibiting in Booth 618 at the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC), being held at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Oct. 11-13, 2010. (For details about AMTC, see http://www.aams.org.)

For details about MedEvac Foundation International, or to apply for a grant or donate to the Foundation, contact Amber Bullington at 703-836-8732 or abullington@aams.org, or visit www.medevacfoundation.org.

About AMTC
AMTC is a one-stop shop for access to representatives from myriad key aviation and health-care-related organizations. Organizers include the Association of Air Medical Services, the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association, the Air Medical Physician Association, the International Association of Flight Paramedics, the National Association of Air Medical Communication Specialists, and the National EMS Pilots Association.

About MedEvac Foundation International
The MedEvac Foundation International is the first organization of its kind to engage, mobilize and empower people and organizations to make a difference in medical transport worldwide. Through research, education, outreach, and charitable services, we seek to improve the safety, quality and delivery of medical transportation for patients everywhere.

About Avstar Media
Avstar Media offers a complete line of web-based training solutions for helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft pilots on general subjects and aircraft-specific programs. Our training – designed, administered, and supported by aviation professionals – provides a convenient and cost-effective way for pilots to complete their annual training required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Besides meeting the necessary FAA requirements, the program is designed to meet the requirements of professional organizations such as the Association of Air Medical Services and the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services, as well as satisfy continuing education credit hours. Because this training is standardized so that every crewmember receives the same training, medevac transport programs are assured that everyone receives the high quality training they need.

Avstar Media is committed to utilizing state of the art technology and incorporating customer feedback to provide the most valuable training solutions possible. With that commitment, Avstar Media has quickly become the industry standard for web-based training.