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Aeromedical Evacuation hub established at Kelly Field, Texas

  • Published
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --   Patients getting airlifted from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are now being transported to Kelly Field at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where a hub has been established to support the aeromedical evacuation portion of Hurricane Katrina relief operations.

Kelly Field officials said the location was chosen as a hub because of its ramp accessibility, and the fact that there are 31 area hospitals to transport patients within the Lackland AFB geographical area.

According to Chief Master Sgt. Rodney Christa, readiness manager for the 433rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Kelly Field, by the time all is said and done, Katrina aeromedical evacuation missions could potentially move more patients than all of the Global War on Terrorism AE missions to date.

As patients are brought to the medical hub at Kelly Field, they are processed for further transport to one of the nearby hospitals or trauma centers.

"Because the patients are already triaged in New Orleans, we already know where theyre going to be taken, so the process is very efficient," said Tech. Sgt. Collen Roundtree, 433rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs. "The trauma patients are immediately taken to the trauma centers, and the other patients are taken to regular hospitals."

According to Sergeant Roundtree, AE officials at Kelly Field are hoping to be able to handle up to 2,000 patients per day by the end of the week.

That will be important because in less than 24 hours, virtually over night, the number of those waiting in line for medical treatment at the New Orleans airport grew from 2,000 to 10,000.

To help provide medical support to the displaced victims in the hurricane-devastated region, Air Mobility Command has transported Expeditionary Medical Support Team Airmen deployed from Illinois, Maryland and Florida. The Airmen are supporting the Medical Rapid Response Force the Air Force established at NOIA.

According to Capt. Tim Smith, Aeromedical Evacuation Mission Support chief, the MRRF is an Expeditionary Medical System that provides rapid response, resuscitative surgery, and emergency medical support personnel, and is currently using a terminal at the airport.

"They have alll the capabilities on the ground to set up a medical operation, but because they are operating efficiently out of one of the airport's terminals, the team has not set up the EMS," he said.

AE missions to date have transported more than 811 patients.