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    Mayo One – Taking Air Medical Transport to a New Level

Mayo Clinic added a new Mayo One medical transport helicopter to its fleet late last fall. The new aircraft is Mayo’s first American Eurocopter EC145, which Mayo customized to incorporate many high-tech navigational features along with the latest in safety advancements. As it stands, the new Mayo One is one of the most advanced and well-equipped medical transport helicopters in the country.

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“Our goal is to elevate the standards for medical transport, both in terms of medical care and equipment and technology,” says Scott Zietlow, M.D., Mayo Clinic trauma surgeon and medical director of the Mayo One program. “With the introduction of the latest Mayo One aircraft, we have clearly achieved this by taking air medical transport services to a new and unprecedented level.”

The new aircraft’s critical-care-equipped aircraft cabin, alongside the advanced avionics equipment installed for the pilots, gives Mayo a comprehensive, high-tech solution that meets the needs of critically ill patients. The aircraft also includes advanced flight safety features such as night vision goggles and a terrain awareness warning system, features that came at the recommendation of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Other features include:

  • Infusion pump for delivering critical medicines to the patient’s circulatory system
  • Balloon pump to help the patient’s heart pump blood through their body
  • Specially equipped stretcher that allows the patient monitor, IV bags and infusion pump to travel with the patient, eliminating the need to remove the equipment from the aircraft and carry them alongside the patient
  • Instrument Flight Rules-equipped, meaning the aircraft can be flown in most weather conditions by using instruments when necessary for navigation
  • An autopilot function to reduce pilot workload during critical phases of the flight
  • Two different collision avoidance systems that are fed to a large display and provide voice guidance to pilots
  • Onboard weather radar and satellite data link for aviation weather reports
  • A satellite-based telephone and tracking system to allow Mayo’s dispatch center to track the aircraft’s location in real time.

Find out more at mayomedicaltransport.com.

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