St. Luke's Anderson currently maintains a temporary helipad at the southern terminus of St.Luke's Blvd, near the Lehigh River. When a critical care patient is transported, the hospital must notify 9-1-1, and fire vehicles and ambulances are dispatched to the site with lights and sirens. It also is located some distance away from the hospital tower, necessitating an ambulance transport from the chopper.
Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Company Chief Dave Stapinski said a permanent helipad, to be located next to a tower under construction is "so much safer." He noted that helicopters landing now often kick up cinders in the open parking lot. He also noted that some drivers just ignore the fire engines and ambulances there to establish a perimeter. He recounted one instance in which a car drove under a helicopter as it was landing.
Although members of the public had a few questions, only Chetwin Terrace resident Barry Roth was opposed. He initially complained about the flight path until it was demonstrated that he misunderstood it. Then it was the noise. "I hear the chopper leave from Gracedale all the time," he complained. Considering that his Chetwin Terrace residence is located nine miles from Gracedale, he must have remarkable hearing.
Attorney Steven Boell, representing St. Luke's, presented three witnesses in support of the permanent helipad. Ray Midlam, a hospital VP, explained the desire for a permanent helipad next to a tower under construction. This will enable the hospital to transport newborn infants in need of critical care as well as trauma patients. He said the chopper is currently used once a month, and he projected that to increase to about twice a month as a result of transporting newborn infants. He admitted there would be a need to cross the street from the tower to the helipad, but said that security would be on hand to prevent any mishaps.
Scott Pasterski, of Keystone Engineering, is the project manager. He described the permanent helipad as a 70' diameter concrete heated pad that would never need to be plowed. There would also be a 13' wide buffer, free of obstructions,surrounding the helipad. Fire suppression will be located on site, as well as a wind sock. He added that the helicopter will fuel off site.
Adam Maziuk, a former EMT in Bethlehem Township, was the clean-up hitter. He testified he spent 13 years flying with PennStar, and described the noise. He indicated that when a helicopter is 2500' in the sky, the nearest it gets to a residence, it is just ambient noise. He said the chopper gets noisy the closer you get to it, and described the sound in most instances like a bus.
Under Bethlehem Township's zoning law, a helipad requires 15 acres. The St. Luke's Anderson campus is 180 acres. The helipad itself is located 0.40 miles away from the nearest home. The proposal has already been approved by the Pa. Bureau of Aviation.
Fire Chief Stapinski summed up the sentiment of most of the room. "We're blessed to have a hospital in our back yard."
Mr. Roth apparently is hearing things, because the chopper last flew out of Gracedale several months ago now - when Geisinger took over from PennSTAR, they no longer house a chopper at the Gracedale hangar.
ReplyDeleteI would never want to be flown to Anderson for ER care. Took my aging mother and at another time brother there. The staff were horrible. That ER/hospital facility is only 1/2 step better than Easton. That's what happens when you just keep building facilities and don't have the best staff to staff it. St. Luke's needs to remember who pays their salaries and who they are supposed to be taking care of --- NOT THE OH MIGHT BUCK AGAIN!!!
ReplyDeleteActually, I think St. Luke's has declined significantly in recent years, especially in the ER, both at Fountain Hill and Anderson. A friend was taken to Ftn Hill after an accident and the treatment she received was horrible. She was covered in blood for hours, and was just laying in a room for hours before a doctor saw her. The staff never once cleaned the blood off her face and body. I had to do it and I got there several hours after she had been there. When taken to a room, the treatment and neglect was just as bad. I would at this point take easton over St. Luke's.
ReplyDelete"Mr. Roth apparently is hearing things, because the chopper last flew out of Gracedale several months ago now"
ReplyDeleteLOL. Why is there not a chopper more locally? That just adds flying time to an emergency, doesn't it? Is PennStar interested in fast service or money?
I might be wrong om this but I think the EMS council which regulates all this MIGHT have changed the rules on chopper use to cut down on too many unnecessary flights. I believe that trauma patients in EASTON City are taken by ground to St Lukes in Fountain Hill. Nationally medical transport helicopters have among the worse safety record in aviation. More than once the NTSB has conducted a "summit" of sorts trying to stress better, safer operations. It's all there in a Google search.
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