Cindi Shankle RN Opinion on Monroe Michigan Helicopters
Regarding
the article: Helicopter draws hostility
Copyright 2004 Monroe Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved
Dear Ms. Shankle
Please be aware that I never have expressed any hostility concerning any helicopter usage. The operation of a non-FAA licensed and regulated heliport did concern me. My questions may have prompted action of the hospital administration's part because the heliport was licensed by the FAA on June 16, 2005 pending the filling out and return of proper forms by the hospital staff.
I had stated in a public meeting that the use of helicopter was abused in perhaps four out of five cases. Your superior Daniel L. Wakeman, MMHS chief executive officer of the hospital is quoted in the same article as follows:
"Though few dispute that the helicopters save lives, a 1994 study of the response times of helicopters and ground ambulances concluded that activation times, response times and on-scene times for helicopter transports were longer, on average, than ground ambulances. The same study also concluded that helicopters were overused in about 85 percent of transports."
Therefore, Ms. Shankle, I respect both your opinions, agree with them and have no difference of opinion with either you or Mr. Daniel Wakeman. I will admit that I was taken aback by the choice of the headline but understand that something to arrest the attention of a newsstand patron is needed to sell papers. Charlie Slat is an excellent reporter. He was considered to have been given one minor point of bad information quoted in the article from the Chicago FAA office.
What started this chain of events was my question to Mayor John Iacoangeli in a public council meeting Monday, March 21, 2005 concerning our loss of tax base to Mercy Memorial Hospital and the lack of an FAA approved heliport at the hospital. As follows:
Citizen Comments.
David Smith, 530 Hollywood, spoke in regard to the hospital’s plans to expand when they choose to not qualify for a legal heliport and asked the City to check into their intentions. He would like to see them move their whole facility onto Stewart Road where it can develop and flourish.
Ms. Shankle, I do not see how my comments reflected any hostility whatsoever. The only issue in my question to the Mayor and Council concerned apparent poor planning by the previous administrator and the lack of FAA protection of the airspace needed by helicopter operations at the time the question was asked.
Naturally, I am appreciative of all services of the hospital including air transport if necessary. My life has been saved on two occasions by the emergency room staff and prompt hospitalization for an acute infection.
David Alkire Smith
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