Vanderbilt Emergency Medicine

There are three (3) helipads on the Vanderbilt campus; one dual helistop atop Vanderbilt Medical Center and a single helistop atop Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. 

The Vanderbilt LifeFlight Communications Center sits adjacent to the main helipad at the Medical Center.  Typically there are >8000 takeoffs and landings from the combined pads annually. 

There are a multitude of safety and operational requirements for these areas; they can be found here (link)

Air Medical Transport and Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt serves as a large receiving center for patients transported by air medical helicopter; the vast majority of these patients are trauma patients.  Generally speaking the patients transported by helicopter have a higher medical acuity than patients transported by ground EMS. 

Radio Reports

All patient arrivals should be preceded by a patient report given via radio to the Vanderbilt LifeFlight Communications Center.  Mobile or cell phone calls are not acceptable.  

All radio communications at Vanderbilt flow thru the LifeFlight Communications Center; who in turn routes them to the appropriate receiving area. 

Note: all radio and phone traffic is digitally recorded.  Certain areas in and around the Medical Center are monitored by audio/video systems for oversight and quality assurance purposes.

The Vanderbilt LifeFlight Communications Center also serves as Nashville Medcom; the Regional Medical Communications Center.

An RMCC is a state designated communications entity with a regional mission and focus that coordinates hospitals, ambulance services and other medical resources, in real time, to optimize emergency patient care in situations where local governments and health care providers request assistance.  For more information on Nashville Medcom go to (medcom link)

A radio report should be called in 10 – 15 minutes prior to arrival

Radio reports should be brief (30-45 seconds)

Focus on pertinent information only; you will be asked for a full report at the bedside

Notify recipient if the patient is requiring any assistance maintaining their airway or ventilatory needs. Notify recipient of any episodes of hypotension

Core Patient Care Issues

All patients should be covered with a blanket or sheet

All critically ill or injured patients should have appropriate oxygen and monitoring devices on and functioning. 

It is expected that every intubated, chemically paralyzed patient receive an appropriate amount of sedation and analgesia agents. 

Given the acuity of the patient population and the inherent level of training for air medical crew members it is expected that alterations in the patient’s airway, ventilatory or hemodynamic status be both recognized and addressed in an appropriate form or fashion consistent with current standard of care. 

Discussion

The Emergency Department is a busy place; it operates at a very high occupancy rate.   Bed and room space are at a premium; it is imperative that Emergency Department staff receive timely warning of incoming patients.   This needs to be done via radio to the communications center in order to maintain consistency.