Helicopters in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are essential tools for helping hospitals overcome distance and terrain for rural patients and traffic congestion in dense, urban neighborhoods.
Even if you don't subscribe to the Golden Hour theory, the earliest interventions are often in patients' best interests following severe trauma.
EMS helicopters allow for a higher level of care at the scene of an accident with detailed triage and, in turn, an alignment of medical services once the aircraft reaches a medical facility. EMS helicopters are a vital tool in the race against time for not only trauma patients, but also doctor and organ transportation during harvesting and transplant procedures.
The traditional role of hospitals is changing and those shifts are being driven by the consumer. As is the case with any educated patient, Americans are becoming more demanding, impetuous, practical, and cost-conscious when it comes to health care. This latest paradigm has consumers dictating their expectations to health systems and the forward thinking providers are responding.
At the forefront of this shift is financial accountability. Recent media coverage suggests a handful of hospitals are using costly helicopters for EMS without merit. To cut down on this misuse, hospitals must develop more comprehensive response guidelines when choosing air medical services over ground based transportation. EMS helicopters, however, will continue to play a major role in critical care patient services when the team of first responders determines the most appropriate mode of transportation.
Helicopter financing strategies have also changed with the dramatic growth in the leasing market. Leasing is often considered the most resourceful and cost effective approach to owning an aircraft. When leasing, the upfront costs are significantly reduced, and equity payments are non-existent. Credit lines and balance sheets are not impacted and tax considerations are favorable. Concerns over market risk, dynamic components overhauls and long term commitment are ultimately eliminated.
With the current price of crude oil and the slowdown of exploration and production, leasing companies are looking to diversify their portfolios and this is beneficial for EMS helicopter programs. With the recent influx of new capital and providers in the helicopter leasing space, prices are finally looking increasingly attractive for hospitals of all shapes and sizes.