Air-ambulance Transport
Air Ambulance Transport to ACUTE
For the 90 percent of privately-insured patients with an air ambulance benefit, ACUTE works with air transport providers to offer safe, urgent transport to our inpatient medical stabilization unit at Denver Health Medical Center in less than 48 hours.
For patients with extreme forms of eating disorders and severe malnutrition, ACUTE’s admissions team works with air ambulance organizations to provide safe travel to ACUTE from anywhere in the United States and Internationally. This process removes the logistical issues and risks of commercial air travel, taxis/Ubers and nights alone in hotels.
Why Air Ambulance Transfer?
The patients who meet criteria to admit to ACUTE display life-threatening symptoms of urgent medical instability, including:
- Weakness, mobility limitations, inability to engage in basic self-care
- Physical or emotional changes
- Abnormal labs:
- Serum potassium level < 2.6 mg/dl
- Serum bicarbonate level ≥ 38 mg/dl
- Serum sodium level < 120 mg/dl
- Low blood sugar
- Heart Rate < 35 (adults) or < 45 (adolescent)
- EKG rhythm other than sinus or QTc >500 msec
- Loss of consciousness
- Psychiatric symptoms alongside medical issues
Our air ambulance partners are medical experts trained in the care of patients with severe eating disorders and malnutrition. In fact, they adhere to specialized air transport protocol for severe eating disorders authored by ACUTE founder Dr. Philip S. Mehler.
In partnership with elite air ambulance providers, ACUTE offers bedside-to-bedside air ambulance services, both domestic and international, on medically configured Learjets. Please note that not all patients will meet criteria for air ambulance transport. ACUTE’s admissions team can work with you and your patients to arrange creative, immediate solutions to admit to care.
Air Ambulance Quick Facts
- ACUTE’s admissions team handles all logistics related to medical transport and flight insurance benefits
- Patients are generally air-ambulanced to care within 48 hours of assessment and authorization
- Air ambulance can provide safe transport back to their referring treatment center following discharge
- Adolescent patients may bring one parent/guardian on the aircraft for support
Even in my barely conscious state, I was shocked to my core. I knew things were bad. My weight was down to an unimaginably low number and my blood pressure and heart rate were barely discernible. I had more than thirty seizures over a two-day span, and had surprised even my doctor by staying alive as long as I had. I never truly believed this would be my end, though. I then reached out to my previous doctor in Denver, who told me in no way was I to accept that this was it. She arranged a medical flight by Angel MedFlight, and as soon as I was stable, I was transported to the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders at Denver Health...
Lindsay
style
