(Editor’s note – This story appeared in the September 2009 edition of 501 LIFE and is being presented again as a tribute to the three Air Evac crew members who died Aug. 31 in an accident in Van Buren County – flight paramedic Gayla Gregory, flight nurse Kenneth Meyer Jr., and pilot Kenneth Robertson. Pictured below are Jason Bourg (from left), Thomas Mitchell and Ken Meyer Jr.)

by Sonja J. Keith

When it comes to emergency medicine, seconds and minutes can mean the difference between life and death. No one knows that more than paramedic Jason Bourg, flight nurse Ken Meyer Jr. and their crew members at the Vilonia base of Air Evac Lifeteam.

It is called the “Golden Hour” and refers to the critical 60 minutes that occur after a heart attack, stroke or life-threatening injuries. During that time, patients who can reach advanced medical care offered at a hospital have a greater chance of a positive outcome.

It was with that understanding that minutes count, that Air Evac Lifeteam was created in 1985 in West Plains, Mo., which today serves as the corporate headquarters. According to Jamie Eatmon, membership sales manager, the organizers recognized the importance of providing timely access to emergency medical care for those living in rural areas. “They saw a need for more rapid transport for those that were really critical,” he said.

The Air Evac base in Vilonia and 87 similar operations throughout a 14-state area are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with highly-trained healthcare professionals with one goal in mind – saving lives.

The Vilonia location is one of nine in Arkansas (the only one in the 501 area) and serves a 70 nautical mile radius.

Meyer, who joined Air Evac in 2003, has flown over 750 patient missions and Bourg, who started in 2006 as a paramedic, already has 250. “People don’t realize how many but we fly a lot,” Eatmon said.

Most of the flights are trauma related and could have been prevented, according to Meyer and Bourg. “Most people put themselves in the position to get hurt,” Bourg said. “We do everything in our capability to make sure they see tomorrow.”

“The level of care we provide is second to none, from the pilot to the flight crew,” Eatmon added.

The missions as well as the circumstances have varied and the patients have ranged in age from a premature baby delivered at home to individuals in their 90s.

“Everyone gets the same care no matter what,” Bourg said. “It’s all about the mission and the mission is saving lives,” Eatmon said.

After a call for help is received, the crew is typically in the air in five to eight minutes. They know the location and typically whether it is a trauma, medical condition or transfer. En route, they receive additional information about the patient, and are in communication with the ground ambulance crew.

Eatmon points out that the Air Evac crew is a resource and works in coordination with those personnel already on the scene – ground ambulance, volunteer firefighters, etc. “We work side by side. If there is a need to get the patient to the hospital in a short amount of time, that’s our role.”

The helicopter lands “anywhere it will fit,” which has been in some tight places at times. Meyer joked that the crew wanted “Kansas” terrain but oftentimes it more resembles the “Amazon.” Bourg recalled that workers on the ground used chainsaws to cut back trees on one mission to provide enough room for the helicopter to land.

While crews may encounter the most gruesome scenes, the focus is on the patient, said Bourg. “We don’t focus on the gore but on the outcome,” he said. “I’m looking at the stuff I have to fix.”

For many of those involved in emergency response, a call involving a child “is the worst possible call,” Meyer said. “When you get those, they are super high stress. Fortunately, we don’t get too many kids but those are the tough ones to get over.”

With no affiliation with any particular hospital, Air Evac transports patients to the facility best equipped to address the individual’s medical condition. For ambulances, they are required by law to transport to the closest hospital. For the Vilonia crew, most of those trips are to Little Rock hospitals, although they have made trips to facilities in Shreveport, Memphis, Tulsa and St. Louis.

While Air Evac is supported through memberships, the crews are not aware if a patient is a member or not. “They don’t know and they don’t care because they are going to help save a life,” Eatmon said. However, membership is “an inexpensive piece of assurance and piece of mind.”

Meyer and Bourg point out that despite the rigorous education and training involved, they have always wanted to provide emergency medical care via air ambulance. “There’s nothing dull or boring,” Bourg said. “It’s exciting from the word go…It’s what I wanted to do. It’s an honor to get in this field. It is not something we take lightly.”

“It’s never the same thing twice,” Meyer added. “This is why I went to RN school.”

Both give Air Evac high marks for the level of training, up-to-date technology and the company’s commitment to quality care. Every patient chart is reviewed and every flight is critiqued. “It goes back to patient care and the very reason the company was founded and continues to expand,” Eatmon said.

All three are equally as proud of the company’s commitment to the local communities where bases are located. Involvement in local schools and community activities is encouraged. “Air Evac is deeply rooted in most of the communities we are in,” Meyer said. “We want to support the community who is supporting us.”

Meyer feels a sense of purpose working for Air Evac, “knowing you made an impact in someone’s life.” His goal – one shared by others – is best summed up in a saying that has become a company mantra: “We want to be ‘the best part of the worst day of your life’”

“That is the most perfect way to describe it,” Bourg added. “Just knowing you can help someone when it’s been a very bad day.”