April 15, 2008
Pilot CW3 Michael Edwards, Crew Chief Sergeant Robert Pike, and Pilot CW3 Nyle Harrison.
Blackhawk medevac saves infant's life
By Danielle Dizon, Public Relations Staff
In a service area the size of the state of Oregon without any connecting roads and one Emergency Room located at the regional hospital in Bethel, patient care involves a team of responders working together.
Despite weather conditions that challenged a health care workforce, the excellent patient care provided by Health Aides, Pediatricians, Physicians, Paramedics, and a determined Blackhawk helicopter pilot crew, saved a young child's life.
After several hours of conducting care management over the phone, Tuntutuliak Health Aide Nettie Evan, CHP, and Dr. Mehran Mosley knew the five-month-old child experiencing a severe arm infection required critical medical care at the regional hospital in Bethel.
Unfortunately, the force of the weather complicated matters on Thursday, April 3. Scheduled flights were canceled and YKHC's Aeromed service carrier was unable to fly.
"The infection was progressing each hour and unfortunately there was no way of getting this child out of the village due to weather conditions," said Mosley, a Pediatrician at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital. "If there is life or limb at risk, and we cannot reach a patient through Aeromed, we activate the Blackhawk through the National Guard."
Blackhawk crewmembers, Pilot CW3 Nyle Harrison, Pilot CW3 Michael Edwards, and Crew Chief Sergeant Robert Pike, were the only pilots in air attempting the flight early Friday morning at 2:30 a.m. to transport the child.
"We had a mile and half of visibility," said Edwards. "As we flew along the river, the conditions continued to worsen and turned into blizzard conditions." Even with Night Vision Goggles used by the pilots to amplify light conditions, visibility was poor.
The Blackhawk crew made it as far as Napakiak before making the decision to turn around. According to Edwards, a mission is only aborted upon determination that the flight may endanger of the lives of the crew.
Back at the clinic, Evan noticed bruising in the hand of the child and swelling in her fingernails. "Her condition was getting worse," said Evan, "but I stayed calm for the parents."
Evan, a Health Aide of seven years began treating the child at 7 p.m. Thursday night, and for the next 13 hours talked back and forth with Dr. Dayna Ferguson and Pediatrican Scott Davis, nightshift workers at the Bethel Hospital. Fellow Health Aide Rhonda Simon took over at 10 a.m. the next morning.
Simon, a Health Aide since 2005, continued telemedicine over the phone with physicians, while awaiting the medevac. "I continued checking vitals on her and hoped to hear the plane," said Simon.
"The weather permitted us to attempt flight in the afternoon and we were able to complete the mission," said Edwards. The chopper landed near the clinic at 1:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, successfully transferring the infant to the Bethel Hospital.
Tuntutuliak Village Police Officers, Wassille Lupie and Max Joseph Jr., assisted in transferring the young baby and family member safely into the chopper while Aeromed Paramedics Mark Stevens and Bill Jones stabilized her throughout the transfer.
Upon arrival in Bethel, she was then transferred to ANMC and is now in stable condition.
"Without everyone's support and teamwork, this child may not have survived the extensive progressing infection," said Mosley. "The unusual conditions surrounding the care of this child and the successful outcome due to this teamwork make Bethel what it is: a special place to practice medicine and make an immediate difference," added Mosley.
YKHC commends the team of health care providers and honors the pilots of the Blackhawk helicopter crew who made the life-saving flight.