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***image1***The patient movement community at Ramstein Air Base successfully met the challenge of transferring downrange patients during last week’s runway closure.
While the runway was closed for repairs, from Sept. 13 to 18, the 435th Aerospace Medical Squadron moved 209 patients from Iraq and Afghanistan, including six urgent and 38 priority patients to and from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the supporting medical treatment facility, from an alternative runway at Rhein-Main Air Base.
Nineteen aeromedical evacuation missions, including two missions flying outbound with patients to the U.S., were affected during the five day closure.
“We were fortunate enough not to face any major problems. Even the weather cooperated,” said Capt. Norma Farrell, 791st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.
Although most patients were routine patients, requiring minimal in-transit medical care, safety issues for the urgent, priority, critically wounded and ill patients were of great concern since the alternate location, 80 miles away, increased the travel time by two hours.
“The success in managing the clinical and operational risks started with our solid planning. All scenarios were considered in the planning phase,” said Captain Farrell.
***image2***Autobahn traffic jams, vehicle maintenance problems, aircraft departure delays and patients’ developing medical problems in-transit were considered as possible complications. On three different missions, the 159th Medical Company from Weisbaden assisted by transporting six patients via helicopter to the medical facility. One patient was taken by German medical response to a Frankfurt hospital, since it was too risky to transport him by helicopter or bus to LMRC, said Lt. Col. Terry Hoehne, 435th CASF flight surgeon.
Another concern was having housing for in-transit patients at Rhein-Main Air Base, should the missions be delayed. Fifty NATO-standard beds and medical equipment from the 435th Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility were relocated into a hanger at Rhein-Main as a temporary patient holding facility. Three members of the 435th CASF deployed to Rhein-Main Air Base.
“Everyone was flexible and made the mission happen no matter what was needed,” SSgt. Chad Seibel, 435th CASF, medical technician.
Enough medical manpower, medical equipment and vehicles had to be available to accommodate the additional workload. Contingency planning of this nature required a cooperative effort between the CASF, 86th and 791st aeromedical evacuation squadrons, medical representatives from the Rhein-Main Clinic.
The remaining CASF personnel, along with the equipment and vehicles, remained at Ramstein Air Base. For every mission, medical crews, medical equipment and vehicles were sent out from Ramstein to recover or launch missions.
On Sept. 18 the mission returned to normal as the first flight from the area of responsibility touched down on Ramstein’s runaway and the patients were taken directly to LRMC. Meanwhile the aircrews positioned at Rhein-Main Air Base were ground transported to Ramstein to meet up with the patients and aircraft for the outbound flight to the United States.
“Better us traveling than the patients,” said Capt. Mark Reitter, 435th CASF nurse, expressing the sentiments of the squadrons.
