2018 – 2019 Annual Report MedEvac Foundation International About Us The MedEvac Foundation International “the Dear Friends and Supporters, Foundation,” is an international non-profit The MedEvac Foundation International continues its commitment to 501(c)(3) charitable organization support transport medicine, those who need it and those who provide it. headquartered in Alexandria, VA. Since 2005, The Foundation strives to meet the needs of our vital community, by the MedEvac Foundation International has funding academic research, safety and education programs, and programs supported academic research, studies and that take care of our own. education programs designed to enhance the industry’s ability to deliver high-quality, safe, In 2018, the Foundation established a partnership with the Air and and effective medical care and medical Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA) and the International Association of Flight and Critical Care Paramedics (IAFCCP), creating transportation for every patient-in-need. The the Taking Care of Our Own project. We conducted eight events across Foundation’s charitable programs support our the United States in various locations on the safety and wellness of industry’s members and their families who caregivers. Our partnership with IAFCCP and ASTNA makes their provide life-saving services and serve their members eligible for MedEvac Foundation scholarships and grants. communities with pride and commitment throughout the United States and around the The Foundation continues to support critical research projects that help world; we take care of our own. our industry improve safety, business enterprise and education of our community. Previously funded programs include the study that will Vision outline the healthcare effects of an air medical base in its local community To be the international medical transport and a Nursing Demographics study. Both of those studies are defining community’s leading charitable issues and will set up future academic research that will help guide future organization. industry decisions. The publishing of the Foundation’s Sleep Wake Study has already started to create new academic research ideas, as have other Mission Statement studies you have generously supported. The Foundation board is The MedEvac Foundation International currently evaluating studies addressing Pediatric Patient Transport Safety supports the medical transport industry, its and Risk Assessment tools utilized by the industry. members, their families, and the patients they We continue to provide and expand the number of full scholarships to serve by: both AAMS’ Medical Transport Leadership Institute and AAMS’ Safety • Investing in and supporting scholarly Management Training Academy. Scholarships are awarded to those research that improves the quality, students who exemplify a strong commitment to ensuring the highest safety, and effectiveness of Medical standards of safety, patient care, and leadership. Transport programs; • Investing in studies and education The “Taking Care of Our Own” video unveiled at the 2018 Air Medical programs to help build awareness of Transport Conference, provides a glimpse of how the MedEvac our industry, the issues facing our Foundation touches, inspires, and assists members of our community, industry, the contributions of our industry members, and the impacts our Our gracious donors, volunteers, and sponsors have helped make these industry members make in victories possible. On behalf of the MedEvac Foundation Board of communities around the world; Trustees and staff, we would like to say, “Thank You.” Your tax- • Fostering public support and deductible contributions are genuinely appreciated as together we are awareness for the Medical Transport making a difference in the lives of our industry members and supporters. Industry's contributions to saving lives, our health care systems, and our communities; and Howard Ragsdale • Supporting our industry’s members, their families, and the patients-in-need Chairman they serve through scholarships, grants, and other charitable programs. 2 |2018 -2019 Annual Report Outreach Children’s Scholarship Fund Children who have suffered the loss of a parent in an air medical or critical care ground transport accident are eligible for financial assistance through our Children’s Scholarship Fund. A $5,000 scholarship is awarded annually to deserving students entering or enrolled in college. In 2018, Trevor Hellman received the scholarship. Trevor is currently enrolled in Trinity Valley Community College pursuing a degree in criminal justice with an anticipated career path in law enforcement. In 2019, Abigayle Harrison received the scholarship. Abigayle is currently enrolled in University of North Carolina Wilmington pursuing a degree in business management and have a goal of opening a business. Family Grant Fund In 2018, three families received financial assistance thanks to The Family Grant Fund. The fund provides financial assistance to families to air and ground medical crew members immediately following a fatal or serious accident to cover unanticipated expenses. Covered expenses include travel and lodging, leave of absence, childcare, medical expenses, and bereavement services. The Family Grant Fund is a gift that does not need to be repaid. The program distributes checks on behalf of the MedEvac Foundation, directly to the next of kin. Vision Zero Upholding safety as the first priority at all levels is essential. Thanks to programs like Vision Zero, promoting a culture of safety is made easy. Created by AAMS, and funded by the MedEvac Foundation International, Vision Zero and the Vision Zero Toolbox provide tools for anyone seeking to improve their program’s or their own personal safety infrastructure. Through the free exchange of information, safety is kept at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Vision Zero and the Vision Zero Toolbox will continue to identify specific products and services and is available for everyone involved in transport medicine to use in their programs. Thanks to the 2018 Airbus Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award winner- PennState Health Life Lion Critical Care Transport, for promoting a strong safety culture and being “proud to encourage education and innovation” throughout the industry. 3 |2018-2019 Annual Report Outreach Patient of the Year It was 10:00 p.m. on the day after Christmas 2013, and 18- year-old Whitney Corby and her mother, Teresa Corby, had just returned from the movies. Because of the hour, Teresa had no interest in going to the gym, so Whitney went solo. Just a short time later, Teresa received a call that Whitney had been in an accident. Her car had slid on black ice, left the roadway and wrapped around a tree. Critically injured, Guthrie Air was immediately requested and Whitney made a 15-minute flight to the closest trauma center, Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania. Arriving at the hospital, Whitney’s mom remembers a doctor saying, “I’m telling you right now, if she had not been flown down here, she would not be here today.” It was only then that Teresa realized how seriously her Dr. Suzanne Wedel Scholarship daughter had been injured. For six days, Whitney lay in a The Dr. Suzanne Wedel Scholarship is coma as medical staff worked to save her while her loved awarded to an emerging leader in the critical ones kept vigil by her side, never giving up hope. However, care transport field who actively contributes following one MRI, her family was told, “You need to start to the leadership of the medical transport to prepare because this is not going to be good.” But community and/or who demonstrates a Whitney had other plans, and the next day, to everyone’s commitment to improving patient care amazement, she woke up. “Learning how to do everything through research in the critical care transport all over again when you’re 18 years old…is really scary,” industry. recalled Whitney. In 2019 we awarded Douglas Berry, Air Medical Base Supervisor at LifeFlight of Michigan/PHI Air Medical. Mr. Berry is receiving the scholarship based on his hard work by educating government officials on the broad spectrum of efforts being made to improve safety as well as his active involvement in improving safety throughout the state of Michigan. He has gone to great strides to increase his knowledge of the medical aspects of the critical care industry. “I believe as an industry we need to look at where our resources are located especially in the rural areas where we continue to see hospital facilities closing and how do we provide care for patients in those areas who deserve access to excellent health care.” stated Douglas. “We as leaders need to support the staff that is at risk and give them resources, we have to assure safety.” 4 |2018-2019 Annual Report Research Studies In 2018, Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), the Society of Trauma Nursing (STN), the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA), and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) reached out to the MedEvac Foundation International with an interest to release a study on the current state of the emergency, trauma, and transport nursing workforce as a whole, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics and issues facing emergency, trauma and transport nurses. The MedEvac Foundation and its partners worked with the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) to collect, analyze, and synthesize multiple sources of data, [including both existing databases and a direct survey of practicing nurses across the emergency spectrum] to gather information on the current state of the workforce and expected changes to it over the next five to ten years. Although several sources document information on the national nursing workforce overall, none provide detailed information on the population of nurses in the emergency, trauma, and transport spectrum, such as geographical location, age, work environment, experience, and career goals. Without this information, it is difficult to understand the makeup of the current workforce and accurately project the types and amount of resources necessary to meet the demand for emergency, trauma, and transport nursing services now and into the future.