Hospital helicopters celebrate anniversary

Staff for Life helicopters have saved many lives in 25 years.

By Allie Blood

Published Nov. 30, 2007

After 25 years and 26,000 accident-free flights, the Staff for Life Helicopter Service celebrated its anniversary on Wednesday.

The reception began with program's founder, Frank Mitchell, former Director of University Hospital's Emergency Services, giving a brief history of the helicopter service and some statistics on its success. According to Mitchell, research proved that one in four patients transported by the helicopter service would not have survived without it.

One such patient, Tim Carr, spoke at the reception and told his story.

After a driver struck Carr, his vehicle rolled off the road and caught fire.

His wife, Amy, was able to get out of the car and call for help from two people who lived nearby. The people were able to pull Carr from his vehicle before it was engulfed in flames. The helicopter, which was based in La Monte, arrived at the scene, and flight nurse Eric Dirck saved Carr's life. Carr said he had two collapsed lungs, a shattered arm, a broken leg, brain bleeding and several lacerations.

"It was his skill and speed that saved my life," Carr said.

The program covers a 110-mile radius, with helicopters stationed in Columbia, La Monte and Osage Beach.

Nurses work 24-hour shifts, and have to deal with cardiac, stroke, transplant and trauma patients as well as car accident victims.

Pilot Kyle Rehagen said he flies about twice a day. Pilots are on duty for 12 hours at a time, seven days on and then seven days off.

"Most of the time, I am focused on the landing, but sometimes when we have to circle around I see what happened, and it's scary," Rehagen said.

A call might come at any time of day, but before the flight leaves, the weather is taken into consideration. Flight nurse Mary Eagen said a program called Speak Out exists so anyone involved can say that he or she is uncomfortable with the weather, and the flight will not continue.

"There have been times when the wind was so bad that we've had to land in fields or whatnot and call an ambulance to the scene," Eagen said.

The primary actors at the scene are the flight nurse and the flight paramedic. Eagen said both need additional special training to fly on the helicopter.

While the job may seem difficult, the result is what keeps staff on board.

"What I didn't realize was how rewarding it would be," Rehagen said.