Why it matters: Cutting down transport times of critically ill or injured patients can save a life.

The hospital’s newly constructed landing pad enables crews flying Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) helicopters to land right next to the hospital, speeding up transport of patients. Previously, they were landing at the nearby airport in Portage.

This is the first constructed heliport site outside the city of Winnipeg to receive Transport Canada certification.

The only other site currently operational is the hospital-based rooftop heliport at Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre.

A STARS crew flew a test flight to the newly constructed Portage site January 21. Transport Canada issued its final approvals to begin operations there the following day.

This is an important development, because heliport infrastructures are literally lifesavers, said STARS Manitoba operations director Grant Therrien.

Helipads significantly cut down time otherwise spent ferrying patients when air ambulances can only land at nearby airports, he said.

“It’s all about saving minutes and saving lives,” he said.

“Depending on the community, on average you can save 20 to 30 minutes of time. With the critically ill or injured, when you can cut that amount of time it can be life-saving.”

Their design is a concrete pad, approximately nine metres wide, with a nearby windsock. Some are fenced with chain link. There are very specific rules and regulations all helicopter operators must follow to land on them due to their proximity to populated areas.

“I like to say it’s like door-to-door service,” Therrien said.

“We can pick up a patient at Portage la Prairie and deliver them right to the rooftop at Health Sciences Centre. You’re saving substantial time over similar methods to an airplane where you’re restricted to the airport.

“Right now there’s a number of communities where we do have to go and land at the airport,” he added.

Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre heliport began operations in late 2016. There is now one other site constructed at Ste. Anne’s Hospital with approval to begin operations pending.

The town of Carman and the RM of Dufferin have recently signalled an intent to construct a permanent heliport site at the Carman Hospital, too. STARS has been landing on a grassed area at Carman until now, but has been advised by Transport Canada it can no longer do so.

“There’s a few hospitals that are located right on the edge of town and we can safely get close to the hospital without a helipad,” he said. However, these sites are subject to yearly re-evaluations by Transport Canada and when cellphone towers are put up, or an area gets built up, these temporary sites can be pulled.

Therrien said flight volumes and busiest destinations would need to be reviewed to determine where more of this type of infrastructure would have the greatest impact.

“We have regional hospitals that do a lot of volume; places like Portage la Prairie, Boundary Trails, Steinbach and Brandon,” he said.

“We do a lot of transfers out of those facilities.”

Bottom line is that STARS, as a stakeholder in all of this, greatly appreciates how communities are seeing the need and pursuing these projects, he said.

“We’ve seen this in Alberta, and now we’re starting to see it in Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well, where communities, after seeing the value of the STARS helicopter program, are coming together and wanting to build this type of infrastructure.

“When communities build these things it’s always a benefit to the patient, and that’s what we’re most concerned about.”

During the 2017-18 fiscal year STARS flew 720 missions in Manitoba from its base in Winnipeg including 35 out of Portage la Prairie.

STARS teams are especially valued by rural and farm residents who owe their lives to fast response of these air ambulance crews.

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The annual Rescue on the Island event is a one-day fundraiser that’s brought in more than $1.4 million in the six years it’s been running.

The participants were stranded on an uninhabited island in Whiteshell Provincial Park the morning of Sept. 6. To secure their ‘rescue’ they needed to use their cellphones and personal network to raise as much as possible.

Participant James Wall, who is the service manager for Janzen Chevrolet in Winkler spoke of his deeply personal reason for participating.

“We needed STARS a year and a half ago,” he said. “My son was airlifted; he was in a bad car accident. He didn’t make it but he survived four days because of STARS and that got us four more days to spend with him. After that I learned more about what STARS is and what they do and it made me want to help raise money for them and keep them around for the next person who might need them.”

Each individual participated in a series of challenges, including a simulated medical scenario and survival challenges. The opportunity to learn more about STARS’ operations hands on through the challenges enabled participants to gain a deeper appreciation of the real-life challenges faced by the STARS medical and aviation crew.

“STARS lands in the schoolyard across the street from where I live,” said Cheryl McKitrick of Crystal City, a longtime Lion’s Club member and registered nurse. “When I hear the noise of the (helicopter) coming I know that some family is in need.”

This year’s participants were McKitrick, Wall and:

•  Furlon Barker, councillor, Hollow Water First Nation;
•  Roberta Galbraith, member relations manager, Manitoba Canola Growers;
•  Rocky Neufeld, appraiser, Colliers International Realty Advisors.

Similar events ran earlier this year in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

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They’ve planted 40 acres of soybeans and will donate the net profits to STARS, said Jill Verwey of Verwey Farms in the Portage la Prairie area.

STARS is a critically important service to the farm and rural community and after hearing the recent Critical Care on the Air Radiothon which aired across radio stations in Portage la Prairie, Steinbach and Winkler on May 16 and 17 their family felt compelled to do something to support it too.

STARS helps save lives by getting urgently needed medical care to people as quickly as possible, said Verwey.

“When an accident happens, often it’s very serious and you really need that fast service,” she said.

In Manitoba STARS air ambulance teams flew 619 missions during the 2016-17 fiscal year from its base in Winnipeg.

Legend Seeds, Shur-Gro/Munro and Syngenta Canada donated seed and inputs for the crop while Pro Image Signs of Portage la Prairie contributed to the sign placed adjacent to it.

Lori Derksen, STARS development officer (events) said their organization is thankful for this support from Verwey Farms, adding that all funds raised in Manitoba stay in the province.

“The need for support from our allies is very real,” Derksen said. “STARS carries out an average of two emergency missions each day in Manitoba. The support of our allies like Verwey Farms helps keep STARS on the cutting edge of critical care and ensures that Manitobans who need emergency medical care receive it quickly.”

STARS is a charitable, non-profit organization supported by donations from individuals, service groups, business and corporations, municipalities, and through collaborative agreements with provincial governments.

Any families interested in taking up the Verwey’s challenge can contact Derksen at 204-833-4619 or lderksen@stars.ca.

More about STARS at: https://www.stars.ca/mb/.

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Farm workers who are working alone in remote locations now have access to a new technology developed by Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS).

SOLUS™ is a new smartphone app that enables a person to receive 24-7 emergency assistance anywhere in Canada where a cell signal can be received.

When activated, the paid service connects the individual with a live person in the STARS Emergency Link Centre (ELC).

STARS notifies the user’s pre-defined emergency contacts, while at the same time dispatching the necessary emergency response. Mapping software provides the location of the person in trouble.

The integration with STARS’ Emergency Link Centre is what sets it apart from other apps that monitor individuals.

“The difference in this membership-based service is that when you activate the button you are connected directly to Emergency Link Centre that then connects you to the 911 call centre in your area and to emergency service personnel if that’s what you require,” said Grant Therrien, base director for STARS in Manitoba.

“It’s certainly not a way to bypass 911. It’s more of an enhancement.”

An additional feature of the service is STARS’ Neighbour Helping Neighbour safety network, which can include others the user wants notified in an emergency. They can often get there before emergency services and can provide a first line of assistance. SOLUS™ users are encouraged, though not required, to enrol in the program.

SOLUS™ was developed as a personal version of the safety and monitoring services STARS offers larger companies, among the 4,000 registered sites with its Emergency Link Centre.

“Our goal for this app is the same as always… to help someone on what is likely their worst day, possibly saving their life,” said STARS’ director, business development, Erin Sharp.

The app is suitable for anyone working, travelling or playing alone in rural or dangerous environments, where medical assistance may be far away and difficult to connect with.

The word solus is derived from the Latin word meaning “alone” or “unaccompanied.”

STARS understands the agricultural workplace very well and sees this as an important safety tool for farmers, Therrien said.

“We are hopeful that this is something that will meet the need in this industry and others who work alone and in remote areas who want a quick solution to activate some help,” he said. “We’ve already started responding to unfortunate incidents related to that sector. We just want producers to be safe and know we’re there if something happens.”

Users can subscribe online for $9.99 per month and download the app from iTunes and Google Play stores.

For more information visit the SOLUS emergency response app page on the STARS website.

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“It’s not every day you get to participate in a phenomenal fundraiser like this. It does make me nervous to be away during our busy season, but I am hopeful that the ag community will get behind me so I can get off the island and back in the tractor,” said Penner.

Penner, along with six other participants, is gearing up to take part in the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society’s (STARS) upcoming fundraiser, Rescue on the Island.

“This will be our third Rescue on the Island event we’ve held. The last two years we raised around $500,000, so we are hoping to beat that goal this year,” said Betty Lou Rock, vice-president of operations with STARS. “Each of our participants has their own personal goal. Some are hoping to raise around $50,000. But for us it’s not just about raising money, it’s also about raising awareness around STARS and the services we provide.”

Participants will be flown via helicopter to a remote location Sept. 15 where they will compete in a series of challenges while trying to raise pledges through their personal networks.

“They will be left on the island until they reach their goal. As far as the participants go, we try and get together individuals from a cross-section of different industries and communities,” said Rock.

This year’s seven participants include the chair of the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce, Jessica Dumas, vice-president of L. Chabot Enterprises Ltd., Nicole Chabot, former Blue Bomber, Rod Hill, mayor of Steinbach, Chris Goertzen, University of Manitoba instructor and farmer, Colin Penner, CEO of Len Dubois Trucking, Jason Dubois, and vice-president of MacDon, Gene Fraser.

“I truly believe that the services provided by STARS are critical. Our dealers and customers in rural areas may at some point need emergency medical transportation to a hospital, so it’s crucial that we support a cause that helps save lives,” said vice-president of MacDon, Gene Fraser. “As well, our loved ones, employees, and friends travel regularly in the summertime and it’s comforting to know that we did our part to help in the event an accident or medical emergency should take place while travelling or enjoying the summer.”

Rural lifeline

As rural Manitoba continues to struggle with doctor shortages and emergency room closures, STARS has become a lifeline for transporting the critically ill and injured.

• More on the Manitoba Co-operator: STARS heavily reliant on donors

Penner, a Farm Management instructor with the School of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba, said he has never had a personal interaction with STARS. But he has seen the service active in his community.

“I know that there have been a few accidents and injuries around here where the helicopter has landed within 10 miles of the farm,” he said. “I think that this service is incredibly important. I live, work and play in the middle of nowhere and if something were to happen, an ambulance would take quite a while to get here. Having STARS active in the province is an essential service for anyone living outside of the Perimeter.”

Recent addition

STARS was originally established in Calgary in 1985 and has since expanded to five other locations in Western Canada — Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Winnipeg, Regina, and Saskatoon.

The service was originally brought into Manitoba during the 2009 flood and then once more during the 2011 flood. At that time, it was decided to establish a permanent base in Winnipeg. In 2012, the provincial government signed an agreement to provide funding for 10 years.

Throughout 2014, STARS’ six different locations responded to 3,084 calls and have completed more than 29,000 missions in its 30-year run.

Those interested in helping Penner and the other participants get off the island, please visit www.rescueontheisland.ca.

“Farming is often seen as a noble profession where we care for the land, and a lot of times I think that farmers put caring for the land and producing food above their own safety. One way to give back to a farmer would certainly be to support STARS,” said Penner.

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An average flight runs at approximately, $5,400 and a medically equipped helicopter costs $5 million.

Funding for the service comes from donations and fundraising, and the Government of Manitoba’s commitment to funding the base, which sees STARS compensated $10 million a year.

“We operate similar to hospital foundations. Money that is raised through fundraisers is used to offset some of the cost of running the service so that we aren’t as reliant on government dollars,” said Betty Lou Rock, vice-president of operations with STARS.

“The funds raised are also used to enhance our education program. We have a very robust education program for our doctors and medics, which include some pretty sophisticated simulation equipment.”

Funds will also be streamed into STARS mobile education unit, a large bus that is equipped with a series of simulators.

“Sometimes it is difficult for rural individuals to get to Winnipeg for education and so it is such an advantage to be able to take this education to them,” said Rock.

The mobile education unit gives health-care professionals throughout the province a chance to practise critical care scenarios, training that is unavailable otherwise.

STARS uses BK117, twin-engine, high-performance helicopters, which fly approximately 240 kilometres an hour.

“The helicopter is much faster than a ground ambulance and we are capable of landing in a lot of different places,” said Rock. “In situations with heart attacks, strokes and head trauma, the faster we can get those folks to high-level care, the better they are going to do.”

The helicopter interior is outfitted similar to an intensive care unit, with various monitors, pumps, specialized equipment and an ultrasound.

Every flight consists of a crew of two senior pilots, an advanced care paramedic and critical care nurse. In addition, an emergency physician is on call to be in flight or guide care.

“Our medics and nurses are highly trained individuals and bring a level of care that is many times not available in rural Manitoba,” said Rock, who, prior to joining STARS, ran the critical care program at the Winnipeg Health Authority for 12 years.

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