Valley Ambulance Authority

Policies & Guidelines

Subject

Heritage Valley Health
System-
Sewickley Campus

Requests for Ground
and/or Aeromedical
Patient Transfers

SOP#

Operations

Adopted

29-April-2014

Revised



Overview: To coordinate and help effectuate prompt ground and/or aeromedical
transportation of urgent and emergent patients from Heritage Valley Health System- Sewickley
("HVHS-Sewickley") to designated regional tertiary care centers in a safe and effective manner.

Background: Due of the relative close proximity of the HVHS- Sewickley Campus to tertiary
care centers located in and around the City of Pittsburgh, transport of HVHS- Sewickley
patients, requiring a higher level of care, is typically performed by ground ambulance;

However, on a limited number of occasions each year, when unusual circumstances arise,
certain patients may require aeromedical transportation to a regional tertiary care center via
helicopter.

As HVHS- Sewickley Campus does not contain an approved heliport; the following procedures
should be followed when the need for patient transport to a tertiary care center is being
considered:

HVHS personnel will initially contact the selected tertiary care center to: 1) discuss the patient's
condition; 2) confirm the availability of admission and treatment at the receiving tertiary care
facility; and; 3) confirm whether a specialty team will be sent to HVHS via ground or air and/or;
4) confirm the whether the patient will be transported via ground or air;
Once the tertiary care center approves and accepts the transfer request, HVHS personnel
should immediately call Valley Ambulance Authority ("VAA") at (412) 262-2620 to request
and coordinate either ground or aeromedical transportation of the patient(s).

Procedures:

When VAA receives a request from HVHS- Sewickley, the following procedures should be
followed:

1) For All Transports: The VAA Dispatcher should rapidly obtain pertinent infon:na tion
about the patient's condition, treatment plan, destination and requested mode of
transport;


2) For Ground Transports: Depending on the severity of the patient's condition, the
transport should be designated by HVHS as either "Urgent" or "Emergent". The VAA
Dispatcher will send the closest ALS equipped ambulance to HVHS- Sewickley within 15
minutes for ground transports designated as "Emergent" and within 30 minutes for
ground transports designated as "Urgent".


3) For Aeromedical Transports: The VAA Dispatcher will ask HVHS personnel whether a
particular aeromedical service has already been contacted or if Valley should determine
the closest appropriate helicopter(s);

a. VAA will contact the designated aeromedical service (see below) or VAA will
contact both regional aeromedical providers to determine the closest
appropriate helicopter and estimated time of arrival;

Life Flight: 412-359-3333 STAT Medevac- 412-647-7828

b. VAA will select and coordinate the designated landing zone:


c. All parties have agreed that the closest appropriate and primary landing zone for
patient transports from HVHS-Sewickley campus is the sports field adjacent to
the Quaker Valley Middle School located at 618 Harbaugh Street, Sewickley, PA
15143; (OMS Latitude: 40 32' 6.6264" N OMS Longitude: 8010' 50.4480" W}


d. VAA will notify Allegheny County 911 for dispatch of both Sewickley Police and
Cochran Hose Compa ny to the landing zone to help assure safety;
e. If time permits, during school hours, VAA will attempt to contact Joe Marrone
from the Quaker Valley School District at XXX- XXX- XXXX to notify him of
the impending arrival of a helicopter at the Middle School location;

4) If the primary landing zone is not available, a secondary landing zone has been
designated. The secondary zone is the parking lot in front of the Valley Ambulance
Authority Headquarters located at 3550 University Blvd. Moon Township, PA 15108
(OMS Latitude: 40 31' 36.4332" N OMS Longitude: 8011' 0.5280" W};

a. If the designated landing zone is VAA Headquarters, VAA will notify Moon
Township Police Dispatch at 412-262-5000 for dispatch of both Moon Police and
Moon Fire Department to the landing zone to help assure safety;


5) In the event that both the primary and secondary landing zones are not available for
use, the VAA Dispatcher may select an alternate landing zone from the designated
landing zone list which is located in a binder the VAA Communications Center;


6) VAA will then dispatch the closest appropriate ALS ambulance to the designated landing
zone for transport of the aeromedical crew and /or patient to and from HVHS-
Sewickley;


7) If the helicopter is delayed for any reason and cannot complete its mission in a timely
and safe manner, VAA will make all reasonable attempts to secure alternative ground
and/or aeromedical transportation;


8) In the event of unusual or unexpected circumstances, VAA Dispatch will attempt to
update and communicate with HVHS and I or other public safety agencies.


9) VAA Dispatchers should follow all other designated policies, procedures, directives and
CAD procedures related to proper documentation of ambulance and I or helicopter
transfer times and details.