LifeMED Alaska
LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation, Careers
VOL: 1 NO: 3

THE LATEST HIGHLIGHTS FROM INSIDE THE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

Mar - 2024

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

Dear LifeMed Alaska Team,

2023 was a tremendous year for LifeMed Alaska, marking a period of significant transformation through the collective effort of our team. Together, we’ve contributed to reinforcing our three pillars of being safe, sustainable, and leaders within our community. This success is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and resilience of every team member, reflecting our commitment to excellence in every aspect of our operations.

As we look to the future, we are excited to continue this journey of transformation. The next phase, in 2024, will see us further emphasizing our focus on being a High-Performance team. This commitment to continuous improvement and leadership in our field underscores our dedication to not just meeting but exceeding, the expectations placed upon us.

We are optimistic about the future and the opportunities it holds for LifeMed Alaska, our team, and the communities we serve.

LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation, Careers
LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation, Careers

Safety Spotlight

What IS AKOSH?

Well, it is the Alaska Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Its role is to assure the safety and health of workers by enforcing standards, providing training, conducting outreach, and educating employers and employees. So, why should LifeMed administration and employees be concerned about? Well, Alaska employers under AKOSH jurisdiction must comply with state occupational safety and health laws and regulations. How can we be sure that we’re staying within compliance?

One of the goals that I was tasked with completing during the 2023 calendar year, was to complete AKOSH audits of several bases. These are a free and confidential service that is offered by the Consultation and Training section to employers. The audits are to help employers recognize and evaluate workplace hazards. The biggest advantage of having these hazards identified during an audit, is the opportunity for the employer to correct them, without fear of citations or penalties being assigned. Serious hazards MUST be addressed and corrected, within a specified time frame.

So, during the audits of Wolf Lake, Anchorage hangar, Fairbanks, and Soldotna hangar, there were minimal Serious hazards identified. The majority of these were literally corrected on the spot, with the remainder corrected prior to the deadline given by the process.

What does this mean to YOU?

I would say that this is a confirmation/verification that the Safety Culture and Program within LifeMed is alive and thriving.

What’s our next steps?

We are investigating the possibility of entering into the VPP. This is the Voluntary Protection Program, and it promotes effective worksite-based safety and health performance. A cooperative relationship is established to implement a comprehensive safety and health management system. Look for additional information next year.

Vendor Employee Highlight:

Joe Berg needs recognition for his persistent presence in hangar two. He is a magnificent individual, who pours his heart and soul into keeping our aircraft in service. Not only does he work the floor, but he also undertakes all the other important tasks: Parts sending and receiving, as well as inventory, ACM (Aero Air’s maintenance tracking program) mx audits, Technical documents audits, equipment upkeep, managing his 8 maintenance personnel, and keeping Mike Doolittle in line. That last one is a full-time job!

He does that, plus work the floor with the guys, when the need is there. On top of all that, he’s almost always available by phone, for any pilot, and medical crew member, that has a concern they need to discuss. Joe approaches each day with a positive attitude, and that cannot be understated.

In short, Joe is central in our success as an aircraft vendor, and he deserves the recognition.

LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation, Careers

Please help us provide a warm welcome to the following additions to the team! We’ll be providing more details about them in future newsletters!

  • Haley Rentz – Admin
  • Ground
  • Dalton Borton
  • Austin Genell
  • Bri Norby
  • Josh Petticrew
  • Jean-Paul Brown
  • Kia Berrios
  • David Henderson
  • Matt Bulf
  • Matt Michaelson
  • Richard Depweg
  • Kole Rhodes
  • Tehya Space
  • Will Grant
  • Amy McNulty
  • Dane Wallace

LifeMed Anniversaries

January

Scott Marion – 15 years
Jessica Duell – 12 years
Angela Niemi – 11 years
Heather Edmison – 10 years
Derek Kockler – 5 years
Nichole Lancaster – 4 years

February

Peter Casey – 9 years
Mary Spatafore – 7 years
Rebecca Johnson – 7 years
Daniel Pempel – 4 years
Lora Randby – 4 years
John Sikes – 4 years
Catherine Commins – 4 years
Mac Domitrovich – 2 years
Matt Bulf – 1 year

March

Dan Kuber -15 years
Danny Babcock – 3 years
Jasmine Wingert – 3 years
Matt Muffoletto – 3 years
David VandeVooren – 3 years
Frank Eighmey – 2 years
Kaytie Hill – 2 years
Clay Adam – 1 year
Victoria Buzzard – 1 year
Tre Cheney – 1 year
Joey Hess – year
Cody Inman – 1 year
Robert Rumley – 1 year

LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation, Careers

Events and News:

Recent News:

Soon we will be rolling out new glucometers program-wide and adding Istats to both helicopters.  In addition to being a full-time flight nurse, Becky Johnson also puts an incredible amount of time and energy into maintaining a successful Point of Care program for Lifemed.  Be sure to thank her by correctly filling out the glucometer logs and turning them in at the beginning of the month. 

Our Anchorage team had to think outside of the box when they were called to Beaver Creek in Canada for 4 patients who were involved in a roll-over MVA.  While mass casualty events aren’t unusual for us; it does become a logistical challenge when only one aircraft is available.  Thanks to the crew for getting these patients out of the Alcan and to definitive care.  Also, thank you to all of our crew members for having your passports readily available.  

LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation

SLT Team Attends High-Performance Leadership Workshop

Members of the SLT recently attended the High-Performance Leadership Workshop (HPLW) presented by the HPWP Group. The HPLW Workshop is a 3.5-day “boot camp” that inspires leaders to create their own High Performance Work Place (HPWP). The Workshop provides the framework, knowledge, and basic skills to motivate teams to superior performance.

The HPWP is not just a program for performance, it’s a culture of mutual trust and high expectations. It’s a non-traditional work culture based on the belief that approximately 95% of all team members at all levels are responsible workers. When we focus our time and attention on these team members, every efficiency improves.

There are eight key elements necessary to creating a HPWP:

  • Positive Assumptions
  • Elimination of Negatives
  • Adult-to-Adult Communication
  • Creating Commitment
  • Mutual Trust and Respect
  • Training and Development
  • Competitive Wages and Benefits
  • High Expectations

We will be sharing more information on this philosophy as well as providing training opportunities for other leaders and staff at LifeMed as the year progresses.

Look forward to hearing more key words and phrases such as those listed in the key elements as we begin to introduce a high-performance vocabulary into our day-to-day interactions.

We are very excited about this new direction and know the high performers at LifeMed will be as well.

LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation

Kudos from the crew debrief:

“Our FAI ground team and our other flight crew helped out with logistics and getting our patients loaded. Our 2 ground teams in ANC were also super helpful with our patients and also gave us a ride back to the hangar since we didn’t have a chase car. Thanks!”

“Thanks so much to Sarah Ransom for being flexible and meeting us at Bryant to complete this ramp transfer. And to Michael Brock and AirCom for working behind the scenes to make the logistics of this one work.”
“Bethel Base: Thanks guys for taking the time to help drive two ambulances so we could transfer three patients out from YKDRH”
“I wanted to commend our Fairbanks ground crew (Emily and Sofia) for their hands-on response during the intubation process for this patient. They were invaluable to the process and a HUGE help to us. They grabbed needed supplies, participated in charting, and grabbed extra free personnel to assist. We appreciate them so much!!”

SEO Strong:

LifeMed Alaska’s effective SEO strategy has achieved strong results, with seven key keywords now ranking on the first page of search results, and the majority securing the top spot. This accomplishment not only demonstrates our strong position in the emergency medevac sector of the industry but also our dedication to making our essential services easily findable online. Our success in SEO showcases our commitment to excellence and the hard work of our team in adapting to the digital landscape.

LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation

Employee Spotlight:

Travis has been with LifeMed Alaska since 2017. He has been involved in EMS and healthcare for 23 years. Along the way he has served as a paramedic in 911 and flight environments in Texas and Alaska, eventually obtaining his RN and dedicating several years to ICU and ER care before returning to air medical transport. Travis has served as a clinical educator for several agencies, including this one, and taught student paramedics and nurses at several colleges over the years.

In January Travis was promoted to Director of Clinical Services. Travis will be leading all Clinical aspects of our business and will partner with the other leaders in our company to drive high performance and execution. Travis will have the Clinical Education and training group reporting to him, as well as owning the clinical relationships with our Medical Directors and Clinical/Hospital Partners. We are excited to Welcome Travis to this new role and look forward to his leadership and contributions to continuing to make LifeMed Safe, Sustainable and Leaders in our Community.

LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation, Careers
LifeMed Alaska, Alaska Owned, Alaska Proud, Medical transportation, Emergency medical transportation

Nicole has been with LifeMed since 2017. She started her career in healthcare 18 years ago in EMS and has worked as a Paramedic and Registered Nurse in Houston, Texas before moving to Alaska to work for LifeMed as a Flight Nurse in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Wolf Lake.

Nicole is LifeMed Alaska’s American Heart Association Coordinator. She is responsible for managing our AHA program and is the Lead Instructor for our BLS, ACLS, and PALS courses. She is also a PHTLS instructor and a TNCC instructor.

Nicole, as Continuous Improvement Manager, will help assess, monitor, and enhance company policies and processes by analyzing current practices and developing process improvements consistent with the Goals of LifeMed Alaska. She will also continue to chair the Quality management committee and drive Quality improvements and assurance across all facets of our operations.

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