Emergency Air Services

CareFlight medical helicopter service has served North Mississippi Medical Center since 1986.

NMMC leases the helicopter from Air Methods, the largest medical aviation provider in America. Air Methods' pilots and mechanics have many years of experience.

Based at Tupelo Regional Airport, CareFlight has logged thousands of flights. The Mississippi State Department of Health's Emergency Medical Services Division licenses CareFlight as a critical care transport service.

The crew provides critical care treatment to patients at any scene or referring facility within a 150-mile radius at their time of need. The helicopter cruises at 120 miles per hour.

CareFlight Crew

CareFlight carries three crew members - a pilot and two medical crew members - on all flights. CareFlight's registered nurses and paramedics are highly skilled in advanced procedures.

Certified Flight Registered Nurses (CFRN) and Flight Paramedics (FP-C) are certified in ACLS, BTLS or PHTLS, PALS, and NRP.

Crew members spend many hours in continuing education to maintain competency at the critical care level.

Communication Center

AirMethods Communication Center communication specialists coordinate patient transports and get necessary flight information. They also track the helicopter's flight to ensure the safety of the aeromedical crew and the patient at all times.

Flight Missions

• Scene flights
• Transfers to NMMC from a referring facility
• Transfers from NMMC to a receiving facility
• Third hospital transfers

Services

Flight features Advanced Life Support equipment and supplies that enable the crew to monitor arterial and Swan-Ganz lines, hang and transport blood and blood products, use paralytics and administer advanced drips such as Cardizem, thrombolytics and Nipride.

Training

CareFlight crews provide Ground Safety and Landing Zone Courses for area first responders. For more information, email nmmccareflight@nmhs.net.