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Bayflite starts service for Citrus, Hernando
By JAMIE MALERNEE © St. Petersburg Times, published November 11, 2000 Hernando County residents injured in car crashes and other accidents might soon get to the hospital faster, thanks to a new medical response helicopter based out of Bushnell that will cut emergency response times. The new $2-million Bayflite helicopter will begin servicing Hernando, Citrus, Sumter and Lake counties Wednesday. Previously, air transport was available only out of Pasco County and Tampa, often resulting in response times as long as 20 to 30 minutes. With the new helicopter, which can transport two patients at once, response times will be trimmed to between 10 and 20 minutes, officials said. "We've been talking about doing this for a long time, " said Ken Grimes, director of Bayflite, the aeromedical service Bayfront Medical Center created in 1986. "There's never been a helicopter that had a good response time in your area. That's always bothered us . . . and we wanted to change that." The added coverage will not affect the cost of an air transport, which averages about $6,000 and is covered by most health and car insurance plans. Residents living in Brooksville and west of the city will see the greatest benefit because they are farthest from the helicopter now based in Pasco. That Pasco helicopter was added in 1999 because of concern over the 30 minutes it took helicopters to get from Tampa to Hernando. Oftentimes, however, flights still must come from Tampa because the Pasco helicopter is tied up on calls in its base county. Now, under the best of circumstances, a helicopter will be able to respond to Brooksville in 14 minutes and Ridge Manor in 10 minutes. Spring Hill will be less affected because the distance the Pasco and Bushnell helicopters have to fly is about the same, resulting in a response time of about 20 minutes either way. In cases where the Pasco helicopter is already in use, however, the Bushnell helicopter will prevent a 30-minute wait for a Tampa helicopter. Although a 10-minute difference might not seem like much, Grimes said it is crucial when it comes to trauma injuries. "Seconds count," he explained. "There is something known as the "golden hour,' where a trauma patient needs to be in the surgeon's hands, in a surgical suite, in one hour. If they can do that, their chances of survival are good. But for every minute over that, their chances decrease rapidly." It is easy to go over that hour, he added, when you factor in all the things that happen after a typical accident: the delay between when the accident occurs and when 911 is called;the time it takes paramedics to get to the scene and decide a air transport is needed; the time it takes to call for the helicopter, get it into the air and over to the patient; and finally load the patient and fly the person back to the hospital. The addition of the new Bayflite helicopter, which will be based at the Sumter County Sheriff's Office flight pad in Bushnell, comes on the heels of the decision by Tampa General Hospital to station a medical evacuation helicopter in Citrus County. That Aeromed helicopter is scheduled to be up and running by the end of the year and will be stationed at Inverness Airport. Grimes said the addition of both helicopters is a reflection of the growing population and growing need for medical care in this part of the state. He said Hernando residents may benefit the most because they will have three helicopters in the area: the Bayflites in Bushnell and Pasco, as well as the Aeromed in Citrus. "You guys will have the best depth of service," he said. Beginning Wednesday, the Bushnell Bayflite will operate 24 hours a day for a 120-day trial period. After that, officials will review its use to ensure that it is running efficiently. If the helicopter is used less than expected, its operating hours could be reduced. But Grimes said he does not foresee that. "With the opening of the (Suncoast) Parkway and the growing of population, we don't want to leave the area without," he said. "It's the logical next step."
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