It's all about flying high and cutting down the time that it can take for a person to be rushed to the nearest hospital during an emergency.
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TRAVERSE CITY -- It's all about flying high and cutting down the time that it can take for a person to be rushed to the nearest hospital during an emergency.
"There's patients that have a stoppage of blood flow that they have six hours and the transport is four to five hours in an ambulance and we cut down that time to 45 minutes to an hour and that gives more of a window of opportunity," says North Flight paramedic, Luke Goodwin.
The North Flight air division through Munson Healthcare has been transporting patients throughout northern Michigan for the past 26 years. Complete with a nurse and paramedic on board, the flight provides a mobile care unit.
"We do stroke patients who need to get to a facility. We'll bring patients over to Munson a lot of times that are having cardiac events that need the cath lab," says Goodwin.
It's ultimately a shorter travel time that enables a better outcome for the patient.
"Not everybody likes to fly and not everybody has flown in a helicopter. There's a lot of apprehension for the first time, but we can assure them that flying is safe and it's going to be ok and they'll get to where they need to be safely and quickly," says Goodwin.
For Goodwin, it's not just a job but instead it's what he loves to do and something all of the North Flight paramedics are prepared to do.
"There can be a lot of stress but North Flight is good at training and putting the time into people that work here. They give Tools that are needed," says Goodwin.
Goodwin says the paramedics not only have pride in what they do, but they're also proud to say they were able to help design the new North Flight helicopter.
Beyond the look though, it's the difference between life or death especially when every second counts.
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