Photo: Curtis Galbraith / EverythingGP staff

By Shaun Penner

HEMS Review

Report suggests STARS become sole helicopter emergency medical service in Alberta

Jun 22, 2021 | 5:23 PM

verythA report on Alberta’s helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) has laid out 11 recommendations for the future of HEMS in the province, including recommending having Shock Trauma Air Rescue Services (STARS) become the dedicated provider of such services in Alberta.

The report from AHS EMS, which followed a review that began in 2019, will now be reviewed by the Government of Alberta over the coming months. The report investigated existing services, gaps in coverage, best practices and procedures, as well as funding models across all HEMS providers in the province.

Among those recommendations is to have STARS become the sole provider of HEMS in Alberta.

STARS currently has bases in Grande Prairie, Edmonton, and Calgary. There are currently two other HEMS providers in Alberta, the Helicopter Air Lift Operation (HALO) in Medicine Hat, and the Helicopter Emergency Response Organization (HERO) based in Fort McMurray.

Part of the recommendation to have STARS become the sole provider is that it is currently the only provider that has 24/7 critical care level service, and that it already covers about 90 per cent of the rural and remote population in Alberta.

The report also recommends that the dispatch of STARS be integrated with other EMS services to improve efficiency.

“We all agree that in life-threatening situations, Albertans need to know that they can get the help they need – no matter where they are,” said Health Minister Tyler Shandro.

“We will be reviewing the report further and consulting with HEMS providers in the coming months to determine next steps.”

While such a move may not bring much change or impact to how such services are provided in northwestern Alberta, NDP MLA David Shepherd says the move is unfair to both HALO and HERO.

“This is incredibly disrespectful to the community members who work so hard to help their fellow Albertans, and to the local businesses who have given so generously to keep them flying,” said Shepherd.

“This decision is another example of Tyler Shandro’s drive to centralize control of emergency services.”

Should such a move be implemented, it is recommended that the province provide STARS with 50 per cent of its operational funding on a yearly basis, up from the current 23 per cent it is provided.

In 2019-2020, STARS flew a total of 1,255 missions in Alberta, making up 92.6 per cent of all calls for HEMS in the province.

The report also recommends legislation be brought in that would establish deployment, operational, critical and aviation standards, as none currently exist for air ambulance services in the province.