Webinars

• Speakers
• How Does It Work?
• What Equipment Do I Need?
• Questions?

Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) operations provide an important service to the public by transporting seriously ill patients and donor organs to emergency care facilities, often from remote areas not served by adequate facilities. These operations are unique and complex, mixing highly advanced medical care with the technical challenge of safely operating helicopters 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

U.S. HEMS operations are conducted by some 20 companies, utilizing an estimated 750 helicopters for 60 hospital-based programs. Each year, about 400,000 seriously ill patients are transported in all but the worst weather conditions. By some measures, pilots of emergency medical helicopters have the most dangerous jobs in the U.S., racking up fatalities at a faster clip than loggers and other historically risky professions.

For the HEMS industry, 2008 was the deadliest year on record with 12 accidents and 29 fatalities, earning the sector a spot on the NTSB’s Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements.

A senior Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air safety official says additional safety devices, pilot training and air safety procedures will be mandated as part of new rulemaking for helicopter emergency medical services operations. A HEMS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to be published in 2010 is expected to go into effect in 2011. The new safety requirements will significantly alter how helicopter-borne air ambulance operations will be conducted in the future.

That’s why Aviation Today has put together a webinar that asks some of the world’s top helicopter air safety experts to provide a realistic assessment of the status of helicopter emergency medical services today. Our expert panel will analyze recent HEMS accidents and incidents and look ahead to the new rules and regulations from the FAA governing such operations.

This webinar will examine how today’s medical helicopter industry trends will affect the way you do business – and your bottom line.

Anyone involved in the operation, maintenance, repair, overhaul, manufacture, purchase, lease, regulation, or safety of medical helicopters will be interested in this timely and informative 60-minute webinar, scheduled for Thursday, October 29, at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Our experts will address these issues:

• Pilot Training:  Should EMS pilots be required to undergo training, including FAA-approved scenario-based simulator training, for inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and hazards unique to HEMS operations?

• Safety Management Systems: Should HEMS operators be required to implement SMS programs that include sound risk management practices?

• Flight Safety Equipment: Should HEMS operators be required to install flight data/cockpit voice recorders in their rotorcraft, night vision systems and Helicopter Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (HTAWS) that warn pilots if they are close to hitting the ground?

• Data Collection: Should helicopter emergency medical services operators be required to report activity on at least an annual basis to include total hours flown, revenue flight hours flown, revenue miles flown, patient transports completed, and number of departures?

• Autopilots/Dual Pilots: Should HEMS operators be required to equip their helicopters with autopilots and train pilots to use the autopilot if a second pilot is not available?

• Reimbursement: Should Medicare payments for medical flights be limited to HEMS operators who meet new higher safety standards? The Safety Board believes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should create and require safety audits for HEMS operators. They would be required to adhere to the higher safety standards to continue receiving Medicare payments for medical flight services.

Hear from these experts:

Speakers:

	Robert Sumwalt Member, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
	Gary Sizemore Spokesman and Past President, National EMS Pilots Association
	Dr. Bryan Bledsoe, MD Emergency Physician, Researcher and EMS author. Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine
	Ernie Stephens Former Editor-in-Chief, Rotor & Wing magazine
Moderator:
	Ramon Lopez Editor-in-chief, Air Safety Week

You and your entire team can take part in this unique conference brought to you by Aviation Today. You can view it at your desk or gather around a speakerphone in a conference room - no travel required! Each registration comes with access to the archived version of the program and the materials for six months.

Don't miss this exclusive Webinar. Register you and your team today!

How does the Webinar work?

It's easy and convenient! You just need RealPlayer or Windows Media Player installed on your computer. If you do not have either, please follow the instructions below to download and install them. Or if you prefer, a phone for the audio and an Internet connection to let you watch the slides and other information on the Web will suffice. No other downloads or special hardware - a dial-up connection will work fine.

• One (1) set of materials (you may make copies for all of the persons you invited to listen to the program);
• One (1) toll-free connection to the seminar (if you select the audio connection), and
• One (1) Internet connection to the seminar.

Use speakers on your computer or speakerphone on your telephone and invite your entire staff to attend for FREE!

What equipment do I need?

For the audio connection:

• A computer with RealPlayer or Windows Media Player installed. When you log into the Virtual Seminar, your computer will be taken through a brief configuration check and will let you know if you're missing any software.
• If you do not have RealPlayer or Windows, a touch-tone telephone will work also. It works best to use a speakerphone so that others can listen too.

For the Internet connection:

• PC: 166Mhz Pentium-based PC or better
• Operating system: Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP
• Browser: For optimal viewing experience, we recommend using Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher. However, any version of IE 4.0 or higher will work. For Netscape, only versions 4.x are supported at this time.
• Internet connection: 28.8 or faster connection
• Display set at 1024 x 768 or 800 x 600

Player Downloads
If using Microsoft Windows Media Player, Version 6.4 or later is required.
Download a supported Microsoft Windows Media Player
If using RealPlayer, Version 7.0 or later is required.
Download a supported RealPlayer
If you are having any technical difficulties or need assistance meeting these requirements, please contact our Technical Support Center at 866-709-8255 or click here.

Questions?

If you are having any technical difficulties or need assistance meeting these requirements, please contact our Technical Support Center at 866-709-8255 or click here. For content questions regarding this Webinar, contact John Persinos at jpersinos@accessintel.com