Columbia Valley Pioneer staff
In a worst-case scenario, STARS is your “best hope.”
That’s how the critical care organization bills itself, which the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) heard firsthand during a presentation on October 11.
STARS representatives Glenda Farnden and Jackie Seely spoke to regional directors about what the medical transport (air ambulance) group does on a daily basis utilizing the latest innovations and technology.
The organization provides physical and virtual care, averaging 34 missions per year in the RDEK at no cost to patients. Farnden said most missions take one to one-and-a-half hours to complete, and the cost per mission can range from $7,500 to $10,000. Incident types range from cardiac arrest to motor vehicle collisions.
Since 2010, STARS flew 604 missions within the RDEK boundary. And since inception in 1985, STARS has flown more than 60,000 missions.
One of those missions included serious trauma patient Willem van Lankvelt, a paramedic who needed life-saving treatment after being struck by a vehicle while cycling. The injuries to his head and face were so severe that the rural paramedics who previously worked and socialized with Lankvelt didn’t even recognize him on the scene.
After he recovered, Lankvelt said STARS had the skillsets that were not available to the rural medics who attended.
“I believe those skillsets made a significant difference in how I was able to overcome the trauma that I faced.”
Another mission (STARS’ longest) involved a hunter who suffered a major heart attack while in the rugged mountains of northern BC. That call took 2,408 litres of fuel and eight hours of flight over 1,768 kilometres. The result was one life saved.
Seely highlighted the latest technological advances that STARS utilizes including night vision goggle capability (50 per cent of their calls occur in the dark). She also outlined their handheld I-stat lab that provides vital test results in under two minutes. In addition, she noted that STARS is the first helicopter emergency medical service in North America to carry ‘universal’ blood for severe trauma patients.
Another tool that STARS utilizes is the video laryngoscope for intubation; the video screen shows a view of the trachea during difficult airway management.
The EZ-IO drill, yet another advancement, is used for vascular access in cardiac arrest, shock, respiratory, and stroke patients.
The handheld ultrasound offers rapid test results and diagnosis for internal bleeding, heart abnormalities, and compromised fetuses.
STARS has bolstered its medical toolkit with two products that help stop bleeding – one reverses anticoagulation, the other helps blood clots to form.
Farnden said STARS saves one life every day.
In its constant pursuit of sustainable funding, the organization is requesting (from the RDEK) a pledge of $2 per capita for a three-year term. The board referred the request to its upcoming budget deliberations.
Director David Wilks, mayor of Sparwood, said the board is challenged with stretching its tax dollars, noting it already supports Angel Flight, a volunteer-run charity that provides free air transportation to residents in need. He recommended STARS make a funding presentation to the regional hospital board which has a wider audience.