A higher power to care

Jump aboard ChristianaCare’s new five-blade H145 and spend time with the crew saving lives at a moment’s notice.

ChristianaCare LifeNet, operated by Air Methods, is a helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operator serving Delaware and surrounding areas. Flight Paramedic and Operations Manager John Damiani has been there since the programme’s 2001 inception, witnessing its evolution into today's efficient service. Damiani believes the helicopter is like a new teammate bringing vital operational possibilities. “The five-blade H145 allows us to have more access to the patient, carry more equipment, and improve our standards of treatment and care,” says Damiani.

These possibilities stem from the aircraft's power. Damiani asserts: “It's a heavy lifter. We want to be able to do things like ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) patients, NICU (Neonatal intensive care unit) transports and offer that capacity to our region - transporting patients that normally wouldn't be able to be carried by a normal helicopter.”

Care rises to new heights

“At ChristianaCare, everything we do is grounded in our values of love and excellence - treating every patient like family and delivering the very best care, every time,” said John Roussis, director of pre-hospital services at ChristianaCare. “We play a critical role in advancing that mission by bringing hospital-level care directly to patients.”

Enhancing critical care transport is clearly a priority and explains why HEMS providers are upgrading their fleets. Transport teams now care for increasingly complex patients using sophisticated onboard equipment. What was once a helicopter carrying a patient and a medical crew has become a flying intensive care unit.

ChristianaCare's Airbus H145 supporting a HEMS operation

When ChristianaCare chose the H145, the decision was about ensuring preparedness for the next generation of critical care. The helicopter’s increased payload capacity and spacious cabin provide the flexibility to efficiently accommodate evolving mission requirements while maintaining a comfortable working environment for caregivers.

ChristianaCare's Airbus H145 in flight

Advanced technologies that enable crews to focus on patent care

Advanced avionics, automation, and pilot-assist technologies reduce pilot workload, allowing crews to focus on efficiency and patient care. As the lone pilot, Colin Hague is separated from the life-saving work behind him. For him, communication is essential, and the H145 has a huge advantage. “The newer technology makes it a lot quieter inside the cabin, allowing the communication between the crew members to be that much clearer, creating an enhanced work environment that is more efficient,” notes Hague.

Hague points out that their home base is one of the busiest regions in the United States. Constantly on alert with a high frequency of calls, he appreciates the advantages offered by the H145’s avionics. “Having that increased capability that Helionix offers as far as pilot workload reduction and the increased situational awareness, is really a game changer,” emphasises Hague.

Airbus H145 cockpit

According to Hague, the helicopter’s fenestron is also ideal for HEMS operations. “It not only reduces noise for the surrounding community, it actually increases safety, especially landing at scene calls and fields or on the road where we have a lot of first responders, firefighters, police officers, or civilians walking around that could come close to the aircraft, as well as crew members who are loading the patient into the back of the aircraft.”

In service for just over a month at the time of the interview, the H145 is already impressing colleagues with more power and capacity for more patients, promising to save lives for another 25 years and beyond.

ChristianaCare's Airbus H145 supporting a HEMS operation