March 20, 2007
Tuesday AM

Airlift Northwest Alaska has announced the appointment of two base managers for its operations in Alaska. Lisa Hollis will lead the Juneau base and Rose Goure will lead the Ketchikan base.

According to Shelly Deering, Director of Clinical Operations for Alaska, Airlift Northwest has added the base manager position in each community to assure the highest level of service to people in southest Alaska who need critical care air medical transportation.

"When a patient is critically ill or injured and needs to be flown to specialized medical treatment, we want to be sure that patient receives the best care possible," Deering said. "Lisa and Rose will focus on base operations allowing our nurses to give their full attention to treating the patient and keeping family members and medical staff informed."

The primary duty of the base managers is to assure that highest attention is given to safety and patient care. They also are responsible for communication with local hospitals, medical personnel and emergency responders. Because Airlift Northwest is a nonprofit organization with community service as part of its mission, the base managers oversee education and training seminars that Airlift offers to the public and the medical community, as well as participation in events like health fairs and partnerships with other organizations on health-related projects.

Hollis has practiced critical care nursing for 24 years and has worked in facilities around the country from major trauma centers to small community hospitals. Goure has 23 years in nursing at both the University of Washington Medical Center and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle.

Juneau and Ketchikan each have a staff of 14 pilots and nurses who live in the communities they serve. Each flight nurse is specially trained in transporting critical patients and all receive annual advanced clinical training in Seattle.

Airlift Northwest pilots and nurses are among the most experienced in Alaska. "Our nurses average 15 years of experience ­ pilots average 10,000 flight hours," Deering said. "With our two-nurse/two-pilot teams, we average 30 years of nursing experience and 20,000 hours in the cockpit on our flights. We're proud of our experience and training. It's an honor for us to be able to treat patients in Alaska."

Airlift Northwest began when a tragic house fire in Sitka, Alaska, claimed the lives of five children before they could be safely transported for care. Dr. Michael Copass, Airlift Northwest President and Medical Director, was teaching in Sitka at the time and was called into the local emergency room to help care for the children. He returned to Seattle, determined to find a way to provide air medical transport to areas around Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Airlift Northwest was the result of this effort and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

SitNews ©2007
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska