Callie On The Job: ARCH Air Medical

By Callie Carroll

SPARTA -- Even though we plan for the best, accidents still happen, at that time every second counts. Callie learns how lives are saved in this week's Callie on the Job.

Emergencies can happen at all hours of the day. It's at that time that critical care workers are on their A game. 

Kris Whitlock with ARCH Air Medical says, "When the phone rings our job is to go and take care of somebody that's having a bad day. Our goal is to be the best part of the bad day they're having."

ARCH Air Medical in Sparta is part of the Air Methods family. Providing air medical service from 300 bases across the country. Sparta's location provides 24 hour service with its staff of 4 pilots, 4 paramedics and 4 nurses. 

Whitlock says, "Everybody here loves what they do or they wouldn't be here doing this job. We love caring for people and taking care of them."

Their helicopter is a two year old single engine turbine helicopter. It goes around 150 miles per hour meaning it can get from Carbondale to St. Louis in 30 to 35 minutes. 

"Ultimately those patients need a trauma surgeon or blood products, something along those lines. Something you're not going to find at some of the smaller hospitals in southern Illinois and the best way to get them there in a quick manner is by helicopter," Whitlock said. 

The med crew is continually training so they can be as efficient as possible when they arrive on scene.

One skill they continue to improve on is Airway Training. 

Flight nurse, Teri Aguiar says they take over the breathing if a patient has a severe head injury, respiratory distress or if they are critically ill. 

"One of the great pieces of equipment that we have is video laryngoscopy, So we can actually look at an airway by video even in the worst of circumstances," Aguiar said. 

Not only does this job involve the critical care side, but it also has the aviation side as well. 

Eric Kaysinger is one of the pilots with ARCH Air Medical. When he first starts his shift he does a preflight check.

He says his job is to make sure he gets the med crew to and from where they need to go as fast and safe as possible.

ARCH Air Medical workers says this job is definitely a team sport and it takes all of them to complete the job.

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