[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 65 (Thursday, May 12, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           NATIONAL EMS WEEK

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                         HON. DENNIS A. CARDOZA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 12, 2011

  Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, May 15th through the 21st is National EMS 
Week, a week set aside to reflect upon and honor the life-saving and 
heroic role the Emergency Medical Services, EMS, community plays in our 
society. While everyone associated with the EMS system is worthy of due 
praise, I rise today to pay tribute to one particular segment of the 
EMS system.
  In conjunction with EMS Week, the Association of Air Medical Services 
is instituting the inaugural MedEvac Hour, asking those who are 
participating in EMS Week to find one hour of the week to recognize the 
contributions of all those involved in helicopter and fixed-wing 
aircraft medical transport. As a co-chair of the Congressional Air 
Medical Caucus, I recognize the vital role the air medical community 
plays in this nation's health care system.
  I would like to take this opportunity to especially commend the 
exemplary services provided to my constituents in California's 18th 
congressional district: PHI Air Medical of Modesto, Medi-Flight of 
Modesto and Merced, REACH Air Medical Services of Stockton, Sky Life 
Central California of Fresno, and the California Highway Patrol--
Central Division. The work they do saves lives and we are grateful for 
it.
  Numerous studies have shown that the first hour following a trauma is 
a critical period in determining the final health outcome of the 
patient. However, 46.7 million Americans live more than an hour away 
from a Level 1 or Level 2 trauma center. When time and distance are 
critical, helicopter MedEvac is the quickest and most efficient way to 
get critical level medical care to the patient. MedEvac helicopters are 
most often utilized for time-sensitive illnesses and injuries such as 
severe trauma, heart attacks, or strokes. In remote rural areas, 
MedEvac helicopters are often the only access to definitive treatment 
and diagnosis. It is estimated that MedEvac helicopters transport 
approximately 400,000 patients annually, with MedEvac fixed-wing 
aircraft transporting an additional 100,000-plus patients over longer 
distances annually.
  As early as 1926, the United States Army Air Corps used a converted 
airplane to transport patients from Nicaragua to an Army hospital in 
Panama, 150 miles away. Routine MedEvac transport utilizing helicopters 
began during the Korean conflict in the 1950s. In March of 1970, the 
Maryland State Police transported the first critically injured trauma 
patient by helicopter in the United States. The first civilian 
hospital-based medical helicopter service in the United States was 
established in 1972 at St. Anthony's Hospital in Denver, Colorado.
  As of the close of 2009, there were over 4,400 MedEvac pilots, 600 
physicians, 5,500 nurses, and 5,300 paramedics/EMTs staffing MedEvac 
vehicles, both fixed-wing and helicopter, in the United States. These 
people save lives every day, providing critical level medical care and 
safe, rapid transport to the most appropriate health care facility 
during the most dire of circumstances. In addition, we cannot overlook 
the many other people, from aviation mechanics to communication 
specialists, that play a key role in MedEvac operations.
  All of the dedicated men and women of the MedEvac community deserve 
our heartfelt thanks. I urge all of my colleagues, during this National 
EMS Week, to take a moment to recognize these unsung heroes and the 
life-saving services the MedEvac community brings to their districts 
and across the nation.

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