List Archives

Fri Nov 7 03:41:37 GMT 2008

The agency that manages Maryland's emergency medical system appointed a
seven-member panel yesterday to explore the state's guidelines for
determining when trauma patients should be transported in helicopters. It is
a response to last month's fatal crash in Prince George's
County<http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/us/maryland/prince-georges-county-PLGEO100100615000000.topic>.
The panel, which includes prominent critics and proponents of helicopter
medical transport, will meet "in the near future," but a schedule was not
released. The Sept. 28 crash was one of eight fatal Medevac crashes in the
United States this year; there have been 26 since 2003. Panel members
include Harvard physician Dr. Stephen H. Thomas, author of several research
papers that support the use of helicopters to transport patients; and
University of Nevada physician Dr. Bryan E. Bledsoe, whose research has
raised doubts about the medical benefits of helicopter transport. The panel
will also include Ellen Mackenzie, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health; Dr. Robert C. MacKersie, a trauma surgeon
at San Francisco General Hospital; Dr. John A. Morris, a trauma surgeon at
Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Tom Judge, director of a helicopter
service in Bangor<http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/us/pennsylvania/northampton-county-%28pennsylvania%29/easton-%28northampton-pennsylvania%29/bangor-PLGEO100101022030300.topic>,
Maine; and William R. Metcalf, a former Anne Arundel County firefighter who
is chief of the North County Fire Protection District in suburban San Diego.
SOURCE:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.briefs250oct25,0,7712572.story
(this was dated 25. October 2008)

Basically the panel is under the direct control of the very group it is
supposed to be reviewing....no offense, but that's probably not the best
choice of a way to proceed.
On Thu, Nov 6, 2008 at 8:24 PM, <KMATTOX at aol.com> wrote:

> Do you or anyone else know just who is on that Maryland  Panel.     Those
> who
> have collected data and have opinions  on Safety, Review, Clinical, and
> Trauma Standards (outside the MIEMSS group) are  not part of this panel.
> It would
> be a shame to convene such an  important panel at this point in time and
> someone accuse the results of the  panel of being biased just because the
> committee was self selected to give one  certain pre determined conclusion.
>  Norman
> McSwain are you on this Maryland  Panel???
>
> K Mattox
>
>
> In a message dated 11/6/2008 7:19:11 P.M. Central Standard Time,
> bobwaddell at bresnan.net writes:
>
> I  understand that Maryland is convening a group to decide on the make-up
> of
> the review panel in the very near  future.
>
>  **************AOL Search: Your one stop for directions, recipes and all
> other
> Holiday needs. Search Now.
> (
> http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212792382x1200798498/aol?redir=http://searchblog.aol.com/2008/11/04/happy-holidays-from
> -aol-search/?ncid=emlcntussear00000001)
> --
> trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG <http://trauma.org/>
> To change your settings or unsubscribe visit:
> http://www.trauma.org/index.php?/community/
>

-- 
Stephen L. Richey, CRT
Aviation Injury Research Project Leader
Saginaw Valley State University
Work E-mail: slrichey at svsu.edu
Home Office Phone: 248-366-4452

"Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir. Amen."- Martin
Luther, before the Diet of Worms, 16. April 1521

List Archives

For your convenience, find the Trauma List Archive Below

Helicopter Safety, Standards, Review, etc