Safety Management

AirCARE1 is committed to providing the best patient care in the air with empathy and compassion. The primary factor in ensuring superior care is to provide a safe environment for patients, their family members, and AirCARE1 employees by utilizing a Safety Management System.

Our Safety Management System (SMS) is integral to Risk Management in the Air Ambulance setting. While risk in aviation as well as daily life cannot be eliminated, it must be managed in order to minimize the severity of consequences as well as likelihood of an adverse event actually occurring.

While the United States does not have a mandated Safety Management System, AirCARE1 chose to make safety a top priority by implementing a voluntary program. As of March 2024, AirCARE1 received FAA recognition of an accepted SMS Program. Our participation with the Safety Management System Voluntary Program (SMSVP) signifies that our SMS is aligned with international safety standards.

Safety Integrated within AirCARE1

Our Safety Management System is not a separate system, but instead is completely integrated within and throughout all company policies and procedures. The framework of our SMS is organized around the Four Pillars of Safety Management:

The policies of AirCARE1 emphasize safe operations at all times while striving to do what is right by the patients we transport. To express our commitment to continuous improvement in safe operations and to communicate our safety policy throughout the organization, the president of AirCARE1 publishes an annual Safety Policy Commitment Letter which is reviewed by each employee.

By incorporating safety risk management and assurance processes into daily operations, we offer thebest possible service to our clients.

The senior management of AirCARE1 understand they are primarily responsible for safety risk management within the organization. In order to clearly establish the safety risk management process, all employees are trained on the Safety Management System.

Every employee is expected to report any potential hazards to AirCARE1’s safe operation. Additionally, each employee is expected to take immediate, necessary action to prevent harm to personnel or equipment, and then to bring any hazard to management’s attention.

Any reports of safety related issues or potential hazards are addressed by the appropriate department head, and safety risk controls are established when necessary. If a hazard cannot be completely eliminated, then specific processes and procedures are developed to mitigate risk and reduce the possibility of any subsequent incident or accident.

Operational Risk Management

To further enhance patient and flight safety, every member of the AirCARE1 team, which includes flight specialists, pilots and medical crew, performs an operational risk assessment that covers any risks inherent to the flight or patient condition. Any risks identified that score above a low risk are discussed and mitigated before the mission is performed in order to provide the safest transport possible. Our risk mitigation processes provide our clients and patients with peace of mind knowing they are in safe hands.

The president has appointed a director of safety and established a Safety Committee that meets at least quarterly to review the safety performance of the organization and make recommendations to the president on how to address substandard safety performance. Additionally, the Safety Committee and all members of management ensure the SMS is properly implemented and performing in all areas of the organization.

The Safety Committee also monitors any established safety risk controls to verify they are being adhered to and continue to be effective. This is a continuous process as safety risk controls may become outdated and outlive their usefulness, in which case, these controls will be either modified or eliminated as required.

At AirCARE1 we continuously promote safety as a core value, encouraging all practices which support a robust safety culture. To emphasize this fact, we have created specific safety goals for each department within the organization. Progress toward these goals, as well as relevant safety topics, are discussed at monthly meetings. Additionally, the safety culture of AirCARE1, safety policy and procedures are reviewed and communicated company-wide on an at least an annual basis during SMS training.

AirCARE1 is committed to fostering a culture of safety promotion and risk management. This safety culture consists of psychological – how people think,  behavioral – how people act, and organizational elements. The safety culture is unconditionally supported by the president of the company and is promoted across all departments within AirCARE1.

The AirCARE1 Difference

We make a difference in the lives of our patients and family members by safely transporting them to their destinations. All AirCARE1 employees are involved at the core level of the safety management process. Our training program provides our employees the expertise and experience to identify potential hazards, improve company operations, and monitor operations in real-time. Every employee is empowered to safety stop a flight if they identify a potential hazard to safe operation. AirCARE1 performs ongoing evaluations of organizational structure, processes and procedures, staff, equipment, and facilities. The safety committee consists of personnel from every department and meets quarterly to review safety performances relative to the established safety objectives, compliance with and effectiveness of safety risk controls, and newly identified hazards to operations. In addition, all employees go through annual training including general overview of the Safety Management System, review of revisions to existing policies and procedures, introduction to new policies and procedures, and discussions about any new safety concerns.

The AirCARE1 Commitment to Excellence

AirCARE1 is committed to providing the highest quality of care while setting the standard for safety. From owning and maintaining our own aircraft to holding an accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS), AirCARE1 provides the safest transport environment in the industry that affords peace of mind to our patients.

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International: 505.210.7870