U.'s AirMed team saves lives

Summary

There are many public servants who dedicate their lives to saving others. Firefighters, paramedics, the police and others never know when they will give their life in an effort to save one. For AirMed chief nurse at the University Hospital, Ken Matthews does his best to live each day as if it were his last.

"Being on AirMed is a calling," he said. "It puts things in perspective and inspires you to live everyday as if it were your last."

The AirMed team of the University Hospital has been saving lives for nearly 25 years. Members of AirMed join because they love to fly and they love saving lives.

Flight paramedic, Colin Hart has worked there for 23 years. Each day, he said is like an adventure.

"l love the diversity and the feeling that I'm doing something good," he said.

Matthews said not every call received is a life or death situation, but for him it has been the simple calls that have left a lasting impression. In the 12 years he has worked for AirMed, one of the most meaningful flights he went on was to pick up an elderly woman who had stroke. He said it wasn't an exciting save, and he didn't give much medical treatment. All he did was hold her hand till they arrived at the hospital.

When they landed, doctors and nurses came to treat the woman. They asked her what she needed, she simply responded: "I'll be all right as long as he keeps holding my hand," as she pointed to Matthews. At that moment he was reminded that his job was more than just saving lives — it was about comforting patients.

"You're there when they're lives change or when it's the last day of their life," he said. "It's more than the skills, more than the shiny ambulances and helicopters and more than procedure — it's about being there and caring for the patient."

With becoming a flight paramedic as a career goal, flight nurse, Ryan Murray has been a member of AirMed for a year and a half. Some of the aspects he enjoys are flying and working on a physician level.

"It's the best job I've ever had," he said. "I love that you're putting your life at risk to serve the public."

Julie Gunnerson, flight nurse, has worked for AirMed for 10 years, specializing in obstetrical labor and delivery. She said she works for AirMed because she believes it is a wonderful program and because most of the stories have happy endings.

"I love helping people get their babies to a place where they have the best chance to survive," Gunnerson said.

Although being a flight paramedic is a loved and sought after career, there are fears that inevitably come with the territory. Murray said one of the scariest parts for him is the potential to wrong or harm a patient.

"The hardest part of this job is understanding the immense responsibility you have of somebody else's life and making good decisions," Matthews said.

The AirMed team consists of about 115 people, with 10 helicopter pilots and six airplane pilots. The team has has four helicopters and two airplanes . Almost on a daily basis the airplanes fly to Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah, and the helicopters operate within a 160-mile radius.

E-mail: tdemasters@desnews.com