Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center’s air ambulance service serves a widely-dispersed population in parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota from its Sioux Falls location and, as with any emergency response organization, timeliness and precise information are critical components to its success.  That’s why Avera McKennan’s aviation operation has chosen to team with Baldwin Aviation; the world’s leader in providing individually customized safety management and operational systems for flight organizations to ensure it meets the hospitals’ patients needs.

“Over the course of 30 years, our air ambulance operation had developed a functional safety management culture,” noted Avera McKennan’s Safety Manager Dustin Douglas.   “However, when we invited Baldwin to review it, they had the tools and expertise necessary to efficiently track all of our assets and bring all the data together in one place.  Every flight operation is different; we all operate in unique environments.  Baldwin customizes their system and tools specifically to each client’s operation.  What really impressed me were their clinical templates.  They’re already serving a lot of clients in the air medical community so they have tools that are ideally suited to our operations and serve our needs in a very efficient manner.”

The hospital’s air ambulance operation also supports Avera McKennan’s innovative “e-Emergency program.”  As part of its rapid response profile, flight crew members, including Safety Officer Dustin Douglas, and essential medical technicians are often on site at the hospital’s helipad. Nearby, in an operational center, a doctor who conducts video consultations with clinics in remote areas, determines whether a patient requires transport by helicopter or airplane to the hospital and, if so, places the flight request with a dispatcher who is located in the same room.  This unique arrangement allows Avera McKennan’s fleet of one helicopter and two fixed wing aircraft to serve a broad geographic area very quickly and efficiently.

Don Baldwin, founder and Chief Executive of Baldwin Aviation commented on the relationship with Avera McKennan. “Since our founding over a decade ago, we’ve been pleased to support and work with a number of air ambulance operations.  We’ve helped them create their Safety Management Systems and organize their operations from scratch and, in other instances, we’ve helped them review and enhance their existing SMS.  “Our team of credentialed safety professionals brings a broad spectrum of global experience to this relationship with Avera McKennan, including having worked with some of the largest medical transport operations in the world–and some other small hospitals with 2 or 3 aircraft, as well. Our team members have held a wide variety of positions, including serving major airlines, business aviation flight departments, insurance underwriters and government agencies.  They’re impressed with Avera McKennan’s innovative and time and communication-based efforts. By bringing diverse insights, proven techniques and advanced technology to the equation we’re helping Avera McKennan Careflight expand data collection, enhance analysis and more effectively address safety issues, too,” he added.

About Avera McKennan Careflight and MRIS, LLC

Avera McKennan Careflight and MRIS, LLC is a critical care transport service dedicated to providing the highest quality patient care and rapid transport throughout its service areas in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota.  Headquartered in Sioux Falls, it was founded in 1985 and operates two Beech King Air 200 turboprops and an EC 145 helicopter.   It is certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS).

About Baldwin Aviation

Founded in 2004, Baldwin is a global company founded to support the implementation and maintenance of safety management and related systems.  Utilizing leading edge proprietary technology supported by a team of experienced and credentialed aviation safety experts, Baldwin is considered the leader in the SMS industry. Baldwin is an IS-BAO and ISSSA registered company – further supporting Baldwin’s leadership position in the SMS industry.  Visit www.BaldwinAviation.com for more information.