What if you, someone you love, a very good friend or a valuedemployee were seriously injured or became critically ill in a remote area or an area with limitedmedical services available? What would the next hours of life be like during this medicalemergency?

This happened to Jennifer, a twelve year old girl, and her mother while driving along a ruralhighway they had traveled many times before. A pickup truck struck their car and seriouslyinjured them both.

Within the first thirty minutes of the accident, the first police officer at the scene had removed Jennifer and her mother form the car and was waiting for an ambulance to arrive. Within ninetyminutes of the accident, Jennifer was in the emergency room of a local community hospital. However, the hospital was not equipped to treat Jennifer's head injuries and internal bleeding. The emergency room staff stabilized her as best they could and loaded her back into theambulance to begin her trek to a major medical center.

Two-and-one-half hours after her injury, Jennifer arrived at the medical center. Fortyminutes later, Jennifer died of serious head injuries and severe internal bleeding. The loss ofJennifer was tragic and unnecessary. Doctors treating Jennifer said that, had she arrived at themedical center within ninety minutes of her injury, she would be here today to share herexperience with us.

There was no local air-medical transportation available for Jennifer in the areawhere she and her mother were injured. Had there been, Jennifer would have arrived at themedical center in time.

The medical profession has long recognized that, if you are able to obtain proper medicalattention within one hour of your injury or illness, your chances of survival increase dramaticallywhile the cost to you or your family decreases. This is the "Golden Hour".

Even though we may live and work in urban areas where excellent health care is only minutesaway, we often find ourselves traveling, vacationing in or visiting areas in which these serviceswe take for granted are hours away by ground or not available at all. With a life hanging in thebalance, the time gained through the availability of emergency air-medical service can make thedifference between life and death.

Air-Medical Systems of America is a non-profit, tax exempt510(c)(3) charity dedicated to improving air-medical coverage in North America. Our mission isto establish air-medical programs in areas where there is a need and to help existing programsexpand or improve their coverage.

Our "Golden Hour Goal" is that, no matter where you are or howserious your injury or illness, you will be at a medical center equipped for your treatment within one hour.

Join us in helping to assure that air-medical services are available by
Donating to AMSA
or by
Participating in the Co-op Profit Sharing Program