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Mon Nov 24 19:33:18 GMT 2008

Well Ellen Mackenzie is a life hero of mine and I wouldn't characterize her
as ever anything put pro truth. I would really like to believe that Dr.
Morris and Dr. MacKersie are professional enough and have enough integrity
to do a good job getting the truth out. They're certainly smart enough to do
a good job. 

I hope I don't sound too naïve or sophomoric if I say that it seems hard to
convene an expert panel on HEMS and then exclude people because they work in
or have done research in that area. If you're hoping the panel may say that
HEMS in Maryland should be disbanded then I guess being involved with a HEMS
service would make it unlikely that a person would vote to do that. I would
hope it wouldn't disqualify them from being honest about whether a service
is being used inappropriately. 

Rob Smith

-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org [mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org]
On Behalf Of McSwain, Norman E Jr.
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 1:39 PM
To: Trauma &amp; Critical Care mailing list
Subject: RE: Maryland Air Ambulance Review Panel

Sounds like the decisions have been made by the choices of the
participants. BTW I was told about the  panel and then uninvited when
they heard of my thoughts about protocols for dispatch..

Norman

Norman McSwain MD
Professor, Tulane School of Medicine
Trauma Director, Charity Hospital Trauma Center
norman.mcswain at tulane.edu
504 988 5111

-----Original Message-----
From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org
[mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org] On Behalf Of Stephen Richey
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 12:27 PM
To: Trauma &amp, Critical Care mailing list
Subject: Re: Maryland Air Ambulance Review Panel

*Pro helicopter
**Dr. Stephen H. Thomas*, author of several research papers that support
the
use of helicopters to transport patients;
*Ellen Mackenzie*, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health with numerous publications on the best way to use
helicopters
*Tom Judge*, director of a helicopter service in Bangor, Maine
*Dr. John A. Morris*, a trauma surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical
Center and medical director of their Lifeflight service
*Dr. Robert C. MacKersie*, a trauma surgeon at San Francisco General
Hospital;  and I quote:

> "*It is difficult to understand why a city the size of San Francisco
does
> not have any medical air transport.  The congested roads and bridges
with
> the surrounding water make helicopter service an essential medical
support
> service."*

*Critical of Helicopters
**Dr. Bryan E. Bledsoe*

*Unsure*
*William R. Metcalf*, a former Anne Arundel County firefighter who is
chief
of the North County Fire Protection District in suburban San Diego

On Mon, Nov 24, 2008 at 1:12 PM, Robert Smith <rfsmithmd at comcast.net>
wrote:

> Stephen could you post the list of members again? I lost it. At the
time I
> thought it sounded like a very robust panel.
>
> Rob Smith
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org [mailto:
> trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org]
> On Behalf Of Stephen Richey
> Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 12:19 PM
> To: Trauma &amp, Critical Care mailing list
> Subject: Re: Maryland Air Ambulance Review Panel
>
> On Mon, Nov 24, 2008 at 12:12 PM, <KMATTOX at aol.com> wrote:
>
> > Interesting review process.     I hope and trust that  the panel was
not
> > overly "packed" with only one side of this  issue.
>
>
> I know they include 2 or 3 persons who have openly stated their
support of
> helicopters in the past and have someone from an aeromedical
operation.
> Honestly the only person there who has been openly critical of the use
of
> helicopters is Dr. Bledsoe.  I fear that his concerns, advice and
knowledge
> will be drowned out in the name of protecting the status quo.
>
>
> >     I do know that I was not consulted or even  contacted by the
panel,
> and
> > that is OK.   I have had concerns about standards of inclusion as to
just
> > who should and should not be flown and under what circumstances.
>
>
>
>
> > I do hope that all sides of  this issue are put out into the open.
>
>
> Agreed.
>
> >    This is a real  opportunity for some real leadership.
> >
>
> What is a total shame is that the original flagship of trauma care and
> arguably one of the most organized (perhaps overly organized) state
EMS
> system could have used this tragedy to further improve their position
in
> the
> field by embracing the appropriate changes but so far the leadership
of
> both
> have done nothing but posture and try to whitewash the public by
clouding
> the issue with emotion and personal opinion.
>
>
>
> --
> 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
> --
> trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG
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>

-- 
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
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