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EHS LifeFlight Services
EHS LifeFlight is a vital component of emergency medical services; providing critical care to the people of Nova Scotia and beyond.
EHS LifeFlight supports communities with specialized critical care teams that can be deployed to treat and transport high acuity, ill and injured patients. Often, these patients require treatment from specialists located at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, IWK Health Centre, or regional hospitals.
EHS LifeFlight brings a specialty team directly to the patient; dramatically increasing the speed at which the patient begins receiving critical care. Additionally, our service supports both hospitals and ground ambulance paramedic teams in managing patients with time-dependent injuries.
Our ability to transport patients via air can decrease patient transport times to definitive care.
Mission Statement
To provide critical care to ill and injured patients, immediate clinical expertise, decision-making support and safe, timely transport via rotor wing, fixed wing or ground ambulance.
Transport Options
The EHS LifeFlight program uses a consistent approach when considering each request to ensure the most appropriate mode of transportation is utilized, taking into account factors such as patient acuity, location and time of day.
EHS LifeFlight has three transport vehicle options available for response:
- Helicopter (2) (Sikorsky S-76C+) – operated by Canadian Helicopters Limited
- Airplane (King Air 200) – operated by PAL Aerospace Limited
- Ground Ambulance
Mission Statement
To provide critical care to ill and injured patients, immediate clinical expertise, decision-making support and safe, timely transport via rotor wing, fixed wing or ground ambulance.
Transport Options
The EHS LifeFlight program uses a consistent approach when considering each request to ensure the most appropriate mode of transportation is utilized, taking into account factors such as patient acuity, location and time of day.
EHS LifeFlight has three transport vehicle options available for response:
- Helicopter (2) (Sikorsky S-76C+) – operated by Canadian Helicopters Limited
- Airplane (King Air 200) – operated by PAL Aerospace Limited
- Ground Ambulance
Missions
EHS LifeFlight completes both interfacility and scene missions using all of our response vehicles.
Our airplane and helicopters can land at the closest airport to a community. The helicopters can also land at designated helipads at hospitals or at nearby community sponsored helipads. Support and emergency personnel throughout Nova Scotia have been trained to assist in landing the EHS LifeFlight helicopters at or near the scene of an emergency.
Patient Triage
On occasion, more than one request for EHS LifeFlight services may occur simultaneously. When this occurs patients are triaged for the highest priority patients first.
Weather Considerations
EHS LifeFlight operates in all weather conditions. Severe and changing weather can affect flight safety. As a result, EHS LifeFlight’s experienced pilots make the decision to fly based solely on their ability to do so safely. In the event our aircraft cannot fly due to weather, our critical care crew respond using ground transportation.
Crew Locations
The EHS LifeFlight adult critical care team and aviation crews are stationed at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The obstetric, neonatal and pediatric critical care teams are stationed at the IWK Health Centre.
Teams
- Adult Services Team: Critical Care Nurses & Critical Care Paramedics
- Children’s Services Team: Pediatric/Neonatal Critical Care Nurses, Registered Respiratory Therapists, Obstetrics Nurses
- Support Staff: Medical Control Physicians, Air Medical Communications Officers, Pilots, Engineers, Paramedics, and Administration
CAMTS Accredited
EHS LifeFlight is a CAMTS (Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems) accredited critical care transport program (rotor wing, fixed wing and ground ambulance transport). CAMTS is comprised of a number of non-profit organizations who are dedicated to improving the quality and safety of medical transport services.
It is through substantial compliance with the CAMTS accreditation standards that EHS LifeFlight demonstrates their commitment to provide top quality patient care while maintaining safety in the transport environment. For more information visit www.camts.org
