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Communication between Boston MedFlight and outside agencies is critical
in the coordination of air and ground transport of patients. Boston
MedFlight has a dedicated Communications Center staffed with highly
skilled Communications Specialists assisting with the overall management
of a transport, from initial request to completion of the mission.
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Communications Center |
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Boston MedFlight's Communication Center is a 24 hours a day,
7 days a week operation fully staffed with certified EMT's
(Communication Specialists). Communication Specialists triage
the initial request for patient transport by determining the appropriate
vehicle, for example, rotor wing, fixed wing or ground critical care
services. The Communication Specialists provide a continuous and
consistent link for the sending facility, during the entire patient
transport. In addition, they provide assistance with bed acceptance
for undesignated patients (ED or scene) and telephone conferencing of
sending facility and receiving care providers, in order to expedite
patient transports. Our Communication Specialists serve as a resource
for other air medical and critical care transport services operating in
our geographical area by coordinating helipads, security, and confirming
the final destination of a patient. Amongst their many responsibilities,
the Communication Specialists monitor local weather and other air medical
transport programs operating within our region, while maintaining constant
communications with their home primary communication centers.
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Communications Specialist Training |
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Training for a Communications Specialist position consists of a
competency based 8-10 week comprehensive orientation program,
in which the orientee is paired with a preceptor. During the
orientation process, aircraft operations, safety, communications
equipment and resource utilization objectives are met.
Communications Specialists are encouraged to participate in
patient transports, cross train with other flight programs,
and make a site visit to the Hanscom Flight Control Tower.
In addition, communications specialists are trained in the use
of an online, "live" weather tracking system used to relay weather
information to pilots in command and monitor a satellite flight
tracking program which tracks the current position, altitude and
speed of our aircraft. Within the first year of employment, all
communications specialists complete the National Association of Air
Medical Communications Specialists (NAACS) program and Certified
Flight Communication (CFC) course.
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Hospital Designation |
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In conjunction with the Boston consortium hospitals, Boston MedFlight
has developed a roster system for patient transport to and from
appropriate institutions. Eligible patients include those
flown from the scene and patients in need of an interfacility
transport originating from the sending hospital emergency department,
in which an accepting physician has not been identified. Once our
Communications Center has identified the need for utilization of the
undesignated roster system, the Communications Specialist will notify
the accepting physician and facilitate sending physician to receiving
physician contact. In the case of a scene transport, our Communications
Specialist will initially notify the appropriate receiving hospital of
a scene transport. Subsequent patient information is transmitted to
the receiving hospital through Boston CMED (Centralized Emergency
Medical Dispatch).
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Landing Zone (LZ) Coordination |
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Efforts to develop pre-designated landing zone assignments among town
fire departments and Boston MedFlight personnel have resulted in the
identification of specific landing zones which serve as a guide to
coordinate the transfer of patients from the scene in a timely and
safe manner. Communications Specialists continuously update the
landing zone database information, as landing zones can change for
reasons such as construction projects, suitability, and hazards.
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