By Brandy Ramirez
The San Angelo Standard-Times
SAN ANGELO, Texas — During one of the first nights on the new Shannon AirMed1 helicopter a quarter moon lit the sky, and as Flight Nurse Cody Snodgrass looked down with the new night-vision goggles, he could see shadows under the trees.
In the almost 10 years he has worked on AirMed1, he said: “I never noticed that before. The night-vision goggles intensify the image that much.”
The goggles are just one of the enhancements that came with the new helicopter used by AirMed1 medical staff to safely assist patients in more than 30 counties across West Texas — an area bigger than Connecticut, said Fred Burtrell, president and CEO of Med-Trans Air Medical Transport.
San Angelo got the chance to take an up-front look at the new AirMed1 helicopter in action Wednesday morning after AirMed1 staff received an emergency call to transport a patient from Big Lake to Lubbock during the program’s 15-year anniversary celebration held at AirMed1 crew quarters, 201 E. College Ave.
The crew got the call right after Bishop Michael Pfeifer conducted a special blessing on the helicopter and AirMed1 staff.
The helicopter symbolizes a new partnership between Med-Trans Air Medical Transport and Shannon Medical Center and positive changes for the AirMed1 crew, but the heart of the program remains the same.
“We have a lot of pride in our program,” said Heather Tiftickjian, emergency services director for AirMed1. “There are not many people who can say they have been a part of a hospital-based program for 15 years.”
Since the new partnership began in July, and with the new helicopter, Tiftickjian said AirMed1 staff is “on top of (their) game clinically.”
In addition to having a helicopter that flies faster and has better lift-off power than the previous one, the night-vision goggles have allowed AirMed1 staff to take on more night missions.
“This has really improved our safety in the air,” she said. “We now can do what we do best in a safe environment.”
Burtrell said partnership between Shannon and his family-based company has been a “good fit.”
“During times of transition, there are always some elements of friction,” he said. “However, in this case, there was none. We are thrilled to be working with Shannon and the AirMed1 Team.”
Under the agreement between Med-Trans Air Medical Transport and Shannon, the flight company supplies the aircraft and flight crew and Shannon provides the medical personnel.
Cindy Gurley, who has been a flight RN with AirMed1 for 10 years, said the new helicopter is a “real source of pride,” and “a change we needed.”
Even though the new helicopter has taken some getting used to, Gurley said, the change has been good.
Snodgrass agreed. He said that after developing specific habits for 10 years, he became too comfortable. But with this new change, he has experienced a new alertness and awareness.
“This change has increased safety like you wouldn’t believe,” Snodgrass said. “It’s been absolutely wonderful.”
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