posted September 03, 2024

Air Medical Team leaves positive, lasting impressions

VISALIA, CA, Sep. 3, 2024 – National Grateful Patient Day, celebrated on September 7, is a day to recognize and appreciate caregivers and those in the medical profession. While patients are often grateful for the care provided, it’s rare that they can personally thank the teams who save their lives.

This summer, however, SkyLife’s former patient Rick Zeron did just that, visiting the base in Visalia to express his heartfelt gratitude to the air medical team for not only saving his life but for continuously serving their community with unwavering dedication.

“Know that the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice you do daily does not go unnoticed,” said Zeron. “Not all heroes wear capes, some of them fly in a SkyLife 3 air ambulance.”

Zeron journey began in August 2018 when he suffered a brain aneurysm rupture and shortly after arriving at the hospital, fell into a coma. After he was stabilized, the hospital prepared Zeron for transport to another hospital for higher level of care. However, due to the destructive California wildfires that season, the SkyLife helicopter was grounded. Determined to ensure Zeron had the care he needed, the SkyLife team worked diligently to find other options and quickly arranged for the SkyLife fixed-wing air ambulance to transport Zeron, where a surgeon later performed lifesaving surgery. Six years later and fully recovered, Zeron returned to thank the SkyLife team for their extraordinary efforts.

“To the brave men and women of SkyLife 3 who took great care of me and played a huge part in saving my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” said Zeron. “I am forever grateful.”

Zeron’s experience is just one example of the SkyLife team going above and beyond to ensure patients receive the care they need. Recently, they responded to a call involving Tricia Sexton, the wife of SkyLife’s sister base Mercy Air Flight Paramedic Ken Sexton.

“With my husband working in this field, I understand the ins and outs of the job,” said Tricia. “The SkyLife team went above and beyond and ensured I got the care I needed. I can’t appreciate them enough.”

In July, Tricia experienced a traumatic hip dislocation and femur fracture in a remote location near Lone Pine, CA. Faced with a complex and lengthy flight, the team found solutions for fuel, patient transfer logistics, and crew drop-off, explaining each step of the process to the Sextons and ensuring a successful transport from Southern Inyo Healthcare District to Loma Linda University Medical Center.

“Even though I work in the HEMS (helicopter emergency medical services) field, you don’t think you’ll ever need the service,” said Ken. “I’m just grateful for the SkyLife team and their care. They kept us informed the entire time, which put us both at ease.”

The SkyLife team is certified and has state-of-the-art specialty care training that provides the same level of care one would receive in the hospital during air medical transport from the scene or for interfacility transports. Equipped with industry-leading equipment and medical devices, the team carries and has the ability to administer blood in flight, provide advanced airway intervention, cardiac and blood flow monitoring, medication administration, and other advanced surgical procedures. SkyLife is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) – the highest standards in safety, clinical practice, quality assurance, and training in the industry. They provide lifesaving services without requiring a membership to avoid a costly bill.