AirMethods On The Move

Roy Morgan in 1980, founded Air Methods after a personal experience convinced him that properly-equipped and staffed air medical service helicopters were a must. So with one helicopter and a single hospital contract in Colorado, he pledged his commitment to safety and outstanding patient care. Now, we hold those same values as the most experienced air medical transport company in the nation – always ready to respond when it matters most.

Air Methods is ideal for rural residents, particularly those with minimal or no access to immediate ambulatory services. Such was the case with 7 year old Sam Soulek of Spearfish, North Dakota. In 2017, his parents had purchased a new horse. Sam disobeyed his parents’ orders to not ride the horse. As a result, he was promptly bucked off and fell backwards on his head, suffering severe head/brain trauma. After being rushed by traditional ambulance to an area hospital, although stabilized, he was still unresponsive and doctors realized that he need a neurosurgeon immediately. The nearest one was at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver, Colorado.

Because of the skilled and expert professionalism of the air medevac team, Sam Soulek made it to Children’s Hospital via fixed wing transport. Now some two years later, Sam is still expected to one day live his life at 100% recovery. According to the medical staff, this won’t be ultimately determined until he grows older and shows no signs of scarring and impairment. Just as time was of the essence for Sam Soulek, who needed to be extracted to a hospital hundreds of miles away, time is also critical for stroke victims.

Karen Espinosa of Lake City, Florida had a stroke which began while in the shower. Her daughter April who is a Registered Nurse, was talking to her on the phone from Switzerland decided to contact AirMethods via Skype from the other side of the world. She was transported to North Florida Regional Medical Center hospital in Gainesville, Florida within the window for stroke victims to minimize permanent disability. April’s quick reaction and ability to determine that her mother was having a stroke played a key role in closing the critical window, despite being in another part of the world. Had this occurred a decade ago, Mrs. Espinosa would’ve experienced a severe stroke that would have left her permanently disabled.