Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital’s new helipad has received final approval for patient delivery by Cal Trans and the Los Angeles Emergency Medical Services Agency, Department of Health Services.
“With the helipad, and working with our local emergency air transporters, we’ll be able to provide life-saving care to our most critical patients in a timely manner,” said Roger E. Seaver, president and CEO of Henry Mayo Hospital. “Oftentimes, prompt treatment for trauma patients can mean the difference between life and death.”
The helipad allows Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital to retain its designation as the only trauma center in the Santa Clarita Valley and will provide immediate and life-saving air transport to medical patients and patients suffering traumatic injuries or illness—thereby giving the best possible chance for survival and recovery.
“Henry Mayo currently receives 50-70 code trauma patients per month,” said David Henry, MD, emergency services medical director. “We estimate 10 to 15 cases will now potentially arrive by air.”
There are 14 trauma centers in Los Angeles County. Henry Mayo is a closed catchment area that services approximately 450 square miles.
In early July, helicopters were provided by the L.A. City and County fire and sheriff’s departments for hands-on training exercises at Henry Mayo.
“We had 99 percent of our emergency and security department responders participate in didactic and hands-on training for personal safety near the helicopter, and safe patient transfers using the gurney and trauma cart from the helipad to the emergency room,” said Teri Sullivan, RN, M.Ed., MICN, CEN, co-training coordinator at Henry Mayo. “That’s excellent.”
Sullivan summarized the new helipad procedures for patient transport: “When the air squad is en route, they contact Henry Mayo with an ETA (estimated time of arrival). The ED staff logs in the transport and calls security. Security opens the gate and canvasses the area for people and debris that might fly into the air during the helicopter landing. The charge nurse identifies the nurse and tech to respond and they proceed to the parking structure with the ambulance cart. They take the elevator to the top, retrieve the gurney from the locked area, and proceed to the helicopter once approved by the pilot to approach. Time to get the patient from the helicopter to the emergency room is 5 to 7 minutes.”
Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital is a 227 bed not-for-profit acute care hospital serving the Santa Clarita Valley since 1975. Services include trauma, emergency, intensive care, maternity, surgery, nursing, wound care, behavioral health, and acute rehab, as well as cancer, cardiology, imaging, lab, digestive, respiratory services and physical and occupational therapies. Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital is located at 23845 McBean Parkway, Valencia. For more information, visit www.henrymayo.com or call 661-253-8000.