Chapter 6: You

What Can YOU Do?

5 Actions That Can Make a Difference

Understanding your options for transport in the event of an emergency could mean the difference between life and death. Find out what you can do to be prepared, and support air medical services in your local community.

1. Locate Your Nearest Hospital

Understanding your location in relation to emergency services is critical. Based on your location, Where is your nearest hospital? What type of care does it provide? Is it a comprehensive regional facility, or a lower level local provider? In addition, based on how far you are from hospitals with specialized care can determine whether ground or air transport is necessary. In most cases, if you are more than 45 miles from a large hospital, air transport may be the best option.

2. Check Your Insurance Plan

As we have seen, most individuals don't know about air medical transport options until they are needed. If transport is not covered by insurance, patients can be left with huge bills that they cannot pay. Double check your current insurance plan to ensure that air medical transport is covered. If it is not, consider adding it to a pre-existing plan, finding a new plan, or exploring membership options that allow patients to pay for transport at a lowered cost.

3. Donate to Non-Profit Services

While most for-profit companies can stay in service through patient billing and insurance payments, volunteer services such as North Country LifeFlight and non-profits like LifeFlight of Maine rely on donations to stay afloat. Make an effort to donate, or make a yearly gift to support the non-profit services that operate in your area. Those funds will go towards great causes such as new equipment, staff and first-responder training, and charity care. Not only will these funds help keep the organization going, they may also help maintain lower transport costs.

Make your donation today:

North Country LifeFlight

LifeFlight of Maine

DHART

4. Volunteer Your Time

Do you have specialized skills as a nurse or paramedic? Consider volunteering your time at your local non-profit or volunteer service like North Country LifeFlight. Even if you don't have medical training, help give back by participating in fundraisers, volunteering at events, and spreading the word about the good work that air medical transport organizations are doing in your community.

5. Say Thank You

Air medical crews work hard to treat patients both day and night. They endure long hours, and encounter harrowing and traumatic situations. In addition, administrative staff work behind the scenes to generate funds, and keep day to day operations moving in an efficient manner. Take the time to thank your local first responders and air medical organizations for their work in keeping your community safe and healthy. A little appreciation can go a long way in a profession that sees a lot of trauma.