Life Flight in Gorge may save lives
Rachel Cavanaugh
News Editor
A critical care emergency helicopter company opened a facility in Dallesport last week, which experts predict will save some lives in Klickitat County.
Life Flight Network, a Portland-based medical air transport service, launched its Klickitat County operation last Wednesday. The service is expected to literally cut response time in half.
“With a heart attack or a stroke, you’re talking about a matter of minutes,” said Michael Griffiths, Executive Director for Life Flight. “You’re losing brain cells or muscle tissue.”
“In those cases, time is muscle,” added Dr. Marybeth O’Brien, Director of Nursing for the Klickitat Valley Hospital (KVH) in Goldendale. “It will be very beneficial to trauma and cardiac and stroke.”
Before, it took 45 minutes for a helicopter to arrive from Portland. Under the new system, a unit could get to Goldendale, for instance, within ten to 15 minutes.
Dr. Ahn Nguyen, KVH Chief of Staff, said the service will alleviate problems with staffing and provide an alternative transport for patients.
“For rural medicine, it makes a big difference,” said Nguyen. “For Goldendale, it’s definitely going to be a positive impact.”
In the six days since the operation began, Griffiths said, the Dallesport site has taken 12 responses in the Columbia Gorge. With one permanent helicopter on site, the station will also have a pilot, one flight nurse and a flight paramedic on duty around-the-clock, seven days a week.
Griffiths said the company, which has two Portland stations and one in Eugene, responds to several hundred calls a year. He expects that to double with the Gorge facility.
The director often acts as a flight nurse and said in Klickitat County he has seen many cases where timing proved to be critical, including burn patients and a chainsaw accident.
Contrary to popular belief, he said, a large portion of Life Flight responses are medical emergencies rather than accidents or trauma. For that reason, many direct beneficiaries will be residents of Klickitat County.
The costs, however, can be steep. An air transport averages around four times the cost of a ground ambulance. He said even insured patients can be left with thousands of dollars in bills. To avoid the costs, yearly membership is available between $45 to $65, which helps sustain the service and makes it free to members.
Part of the reason Life Flight decided to open the Dallesport facility was a “significant portion” of calls coming in were being generated in the Gorge. With so many calls heading east, it was putting a strain on their Portland resources.
Furthermore, weather issues often prevented the helicopters from making it into the area. Griffiths called it a “win-win” situation.
KVH was told about the upcoming project several months ago, but only received word it was operational the day before. While the news was greeted with enthusiasm, it has presented logistical challenges.
Administrators now must develop a system to clear out the parking lot within ten minutes to make space for the helicopter to land. This week, the hospital shifted the parking spaces to ten-minute-only zones out front and trained a dozen additional staff to prepare the landing pad quickly.
There are now about 25 trained personnel and stripes have been painted out front too.
Ramona Reynolds, KVH Safety Director, said the alternative landing zone would be on Allyn Street on the side of the hospital. The option has been used in the past, but neighbors don’t like it because of the noise and inconvenience.
“You’re shutting the street down, so it’s not a good option,” said KVH Safety Director Ramona Reynolds. “But we have to have a backup. We can’t jeopardize anybody’s lives.”
Hospital Development Director Jeff Teal is currently working with the city to find a long-term landing space and plan to accommodate the helicopters. In the meantime, he and other managers said they are asking for patience from the community.
“I understand this is a challenge for all of us, but we’re really trying to make the transition as smooth as possible until we find a permanent solution,” said Reynolds. “It could be one of our family members. You just take care of everyone like it’s your family.”
 Dems go marching on
Rachel Cavanaugh
News Editor
Fifteen-foot balloon-like planet earth spheres, caricatures of giant U.S. Constitution scrolls, and people dressed as George Bush and Dick Cheney in prison outfits were among the stream of figures that paraded into the Spokane Convention Center Saturday morning.
The group, which heralded in the 2008 Washington State Democratic Convention, took time for an “upbeat, festive, and fun,” entrance, according to attendees, before getting down to business.
Prominent politicians like Governor Christine Gregoire and Republican challenger Dino Rossi gave speeches to a roomful of 1,300 delegates and about 200 guests and spectators.
Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, who had previously supported presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, talked about the necessity to now unite behind democratic candidate Barack Obama.
In the afternoon, debates convened over which candidates to endorse and delegates helped adopt an 18-page values platform.
“The State Party Executive Director feels this could be the most important election in our lifetime,” said Klickitat County vice-chairman Bob Hansen. “I have no reason to disagree. Remember, the election will be taking place at three levels: national, state and county.”
The impact on the local community, Hansen said, will be significant.
“It would be great if the Klickitat County Democrat party could pick up two of three commissioner seats. It would turn the political landscape and way of doing business in this county upside down.
“By the same token if Dino Rossi wins, it could drastically redirect the positive changes that have taken place in our state over the last four years.
“Finally, at the national level, we are talking about the politics and culture of hope versus fear.”
Hansen said top issues for Washington democrats right now are universal health care, ending the war in Iraq, boosting environmental regulations and eliminating corporate tax breaks.
The county vice chair said he is concerned that electing John McCain, the presumptive republican nominee, would mean eight more years of war in Iraq. He also pointed out the negative perception the rest of the world would have of the United States.
“The election may motivate folks who are dissatisfied with events at the national level to vote for change, and thus impact the biggest issue at the local issue: getting two democrat candidates for county commissioner elected,” Hansen said.
The Klickitat County Democrats will hold a general meeting Friday, June 20, at 5:30 pm. at the Methodist Fellowship Hall in Goldendale. Guest speaker will be Fourth Congressional District nominee George Fearing.
Rural fire dept gets well
Rachel Cavanaugh
News Editor
After a long journey from “wide open forest” three years ago a fully operational fire response team, the Wahkiacus Fire District 15, celebrated another victory this week — running water.
Funded by an $8,600 grant from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), the Klickitat facility now has a water pump as well as the electric infrastructure to run it.
“We went from no protection to having protection,” said Chief Brad Knowland. “And to think, this all started from a small fire.”
The Wahkiacus district, which serves 10 square miles near the town of Klickitat, is the result of efforts following a near-catastrophe five years ago. According to Chief Knowland, small flames came “really, really close to getting out of hand.”
This was in part because the closest fire response was the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), about 45 to 90 minutes away.
Following the incident, a group of residents approached nearby districts for help. After trying several with no luck, they decided to start their own.
The initial building of the fire hall was aided by several Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants and private donations helped dig the hole for the well.
The facility now has a five-bay building with trucks and an Emergency Medical Response (EMS) unit. The next step will be finishing the interior walls and pouring concrete.
At this point, Chief Knowland calls the project about three quarters finished, lacking an operational structure truck and a model for continued fire fighter education.
Jon DeVaney, state director for the USDA Rural Development and representatives for Congressman Doc Hastings attended a check-presentation ceremony last Wednesday.
Additional reporting by Allie Spino, Horizon Newsletter
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