HAI HELI-EXPO introduces a new specialized training course for air medical teams

Image of the back of a medical team looking towards a distant helicopter

HAI HELI-EXPO has announced the addition of the Air Methods Ascend Advanced Airway Training class with cadaver lab at the upcoming show in Anaheim, California

As part of a continuous program to improve the Professional Education Courses (PEC) offered at HAI HELI-EXPO, the Air Methods Ascend Advanced Airway Training is a specialized course designed for air medical personnel who have appropriate licensing or training.

The class includes a cadaver laboratory, elevating it to a level well beyond a basic first-aid training course. Greg Brown, Director of Education at Helicopter Association International (HAI), said: “The air medical crew is a team, and it’s important for HAI to offer training not just for the pilot and maintenance technician, but for the medical professionals in the helicopter too.”

HAI anticipates adding more courses for the airborne medical community at future shows. “We already offer extensive training for the flight crews, and our goal is to develop a similar series of professional development courses for the flight nurses, paramedics, and all other medical staff on the flight,” said Brown. “This advanced airway training course is our first step in developing that specific HAI HELI-EXPO education track for medical professionals in the air ambulance community.”

The course, offered Monday 16 February 2024 from 8:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs Pacific, is the inaugural offering at HAI HELI-EXPO of advanced educational training for airborne paramedics, flight nurses, and other medical professionals. The California Board of Registered Nursing accepts this course, and attendees completing the course will receive eight clinician continuing education credits.

Attendees signing up for the course also receive a one-day pass to the HAI HELI-EXPO exhibition hall, open 27–­29 February.

More information about the course is available on the education page of the HAI HELI-EXPO website.

In recent news, HAI named Michael Sagely of the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) as the recipient of its 2024 Salute to Excellence Pilot of the Year Award for his 40 years as a military and firefighting pilot.