ShandsCair marks 30 years, celebrates service to north central Floridians
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (December 9, 2011) –ShandsCair, the air medical and critical care transport system for Shands at the University of Florida, this month is marking 30 years of service to north central Florida. The program began in December 1981 with a flight to West Palm Beach to bring a patient back to Shands at UF. Since then, ShandsCair has provided care to more than 44,700 patients.
Tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the public is invited to a public open house to mark the occasion. The ShandsCair helicopter will be on display as past and present team members give tours of the hangar.
“We’re very proud of our ShandsCair Flight Program and its commitment to excellence,” said Edward Jimenez, Shands at UF senior vice president and chief operating officer. “The team’s knowledge and expertise is recognized in the air medical and EMS communities, and that’s something on which we pride ourselves.”
ShandsCair is the only critical care transport system in north central Florida that offers ground, helicopter and fixed-wing transports. The Level 1 Trauma Center at the Shands Critical Care Center is well-equipped to serve the growing demand for emergency services throughout north central Florida. ShandsCair provides services primarily to a 14-county area including Alachua, Marion, Levy, Dixie, Putnam, Bradford, Union, Gilchrist, Columbia, Hamilton, Suwannee, Taylor, Lafayette and Madison counties. ShandsCair also travels throughout most of Florida as well as south Georgia for interfacility transports.
"ShandsCair strives to deliver excellent patient care during pre-hospital and interfacility transport utilizing specialized teams, vehicles and equipment that are customized to meet the patient's needs,” said Staccie Allen, RN, EMT-P, BSN, CFRN, ShandsCair interim program director. “Celebrating our 30th anniversary gives us the opportunity to recognize all the men and women who have been instrumental in creating the legacy of the ShandsCair Flight Program.”
The program’s 54-person staff includes physicians, registered nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists and communication specialists. In addition, four pilots and two mechanics are provided by Air Methods Corporation. The fixed-wing aircraft is operated by University Air Center. The helicopter, an Agusta 109 Power, is used for flights up to 215 miles away, and the fixed-wing aircraft is used for distances greater than 215 miles.
The adult/pediatric team is on duty to provide critical interfacility transfers and to respond to trauma and emergency calls 24 hours a day. ShandsCair also has neonatal/pediatric teams that specialize in transporting critical infants and pediatric patients up to 5 years old.
ShandsCair also transports patients with high-risk pregnancies as well as those with balloon pump and ventricular assist devices. Many programs are not credentialed to transport those patients.
The program works closely with area EMS agencies and personnel to coordinate patient transport in responding to accident scenes and delivering emergency medical response.
“ShandsCair is a vital resource to the citizens of Union County due to its location, which is 45 minutes from definitive medical care,” said Chris Drum, director of Union County EMS. “ShandsCair provides fast, time-sensitive transport from a rural setting and has worked harmoniously with our county EMS providers for the past 30 years to deliver outstanding patient care.”
ShandsCair’s fleet includes one helicopter, one fixed-wing airplane, four Advanced Life Support ambulances and two non-emergent medical transport vans.
“We’re happy to be celebrating this 30 year milestone,” Jimenez said. “We look forward to continuing to provide high-quality care for the residents of north central Florida.”
For more information, visit:
https://ufhealth.org/shandscair
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