Key Takeaways: 

  • Bed-to-bed air ambulance service provides continuous medical care during transport, ensuring the safety and well-being of patients with critical conditions.
  • This comprehensive service includes ICU-level equipment, experienced medical professionals, and seamless coordination from bedside to bedside.
  • Choosing bed-to-bed transport offers peace of mind for families, knowing their loved one is receiving the highest level of care throughout the entire journey.

Bed-to-bed medical treatment is necessary when an individual requires continuous monitoring or intensive care unit (ICU) attention during transport. Medical flight teams support patients throughout the entire transport process, meeting them at their current location, clearing them for safe air travel and providing care until they reach their destination. A medical transport aircraft is equipped with specialized medical equipment to continuously monitor patients and stabilize their condition if in-flight complications occur.

What Is Bed-to-Bed Service?

Bed-to-bed service provides an individual with fast transport, continuous medical monitoring and quality care when they need to travel with a serious injury or health condition. Medical air flights offer bed-to-bed travel for the following types of transport:

  • Hospital-to-hospital transfer: A patient may need to travel between hospitals to repatriate to their home country, receive specialist care or reach a higher-quality facility for better care.
  • Transfer between a hospital and another facility: Some patients require bed-to-bed service when they transfer from a hospital to a rehabilitation or long-term care facility. The same can be true for a patient leaving a long-term care facility for a hospital.
  • Transfer between a hospital and home: An individual may need monitoring and specialized care when they travel between a hospital and their residence, whether they are on their way to the hospital or are discharged to return home.

What Do Bed-to-Bed Flights Provide?

A bed-to-bed flight provides ICU-level care with the following elements:

  • Specialized onboard medical equipment such as oxygen systems, cardiac monitors and intravenous (IV) equipment
  • In-flight medical professionals with extensive training and backgrounds in ICU care
  • Continuous patient monitoring
  • The ability to respond to in-flight complications if they arise
  • Comfort measures
  • A specialized bed or stretcher for patient transport

What Is the Bed-to-Bed Transport Process?

A medical air transport occurs in the following steps:

  1. A medical team flies to the patient’s current location.
  2. The medical team assesses the patient’s condition and needs, clearing them for safe air travel.
  3. The patient reaches their medical flight via a ground ambulance.
  4. The patient travels on the air ambulance with the medical team, receiving continuous monitoring and intervention if necessary.
  5. The patient arrives with the medical team at their destination location.
  6. Upon landing, the medical team escorts the patient to the receiving facility via a ground ambulance.
  7. The medical team hands care off to the admitting team.

Importance of Bed-to-Bed Service

Bed-to-bed service is important because it offers the following:

Continuous Care and Monitoring

A highly trained medical crew is with you or your loved one, monitoring vitals throughout the entire journey. The team understands your unique condition and has the sophisticated medical equipment necessary to care for you until you reach your destination.

Intervention

Medical flight crews also have advanced medical equipment on board to intervene if necessary. If you or a loved one experiences a change in health condition and requires immediate medical treatment, the transport crew can provide the necessary intervention. The flight serves as an in-air ICU, giving medical crews the following capabilities:

  • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with severe lung or heart conditions
  • High-flow oxygen therapy for advanced respiratory care
  • Specialized care for infectious diseases and organ transplant patients
  • Medication administration

Comfort and Peace of Mind

You or your loved one can enjoy the comfort and peace of mind that comes with bed-to-bed service. Medical flights provide a calm, private environment and take direct routes, eliminating the need for transfers and layovers. Medical service jets also fly at higher altitudes to minimize turbulence, providing a smoother flight.

Safety and Reduced Exposure

Medical flight crews are highly experienced and receive ongoing training to ensure they provide the safest flight experiences possible. A medical flight also reduces exposure to viruses and bacteria.

Communication With Family and Medical Teams

An air medical team can update you or your family members throughout a medical transport. They also ensure the receiving medical or care team has all vital information to coordinate proper care and respond quickly if complications arise. Communication between medical teams is more reliable when you travel with one medical flight crew through your entire transport process.

Who Needs Bed-to-Bed Service?

You or a family member might require bed-to-bed service if one or more of the following factors apply:

  • A life-threatening illness or chronic condition requiring specialized care
  • A critical injury
  • Dependence on a ventilator or continuous respiratory support
  • The need for continuous cardiac monitoring
  • The need for an IV drip
  • Long-distance travel for an organ transplant
  • Long-distance transport for advanced cancer treatment
  • Severe mobility issues
  • Dependence on intensive care services

Does Insurance Cover Bed-to-Bed Service?

Each insurance plan differs, so it’s important to understand what your insurance covers before booking medical air transport services. If your insurance does not cover the complete costs of bed-to-bed service, you can inquire about payment options. Understanding total costs and your financial options helps eliminate surprises so you can travel with peace of mind.

How to Choose a Dependable Bed-to-Bed Service Provider

Choosing the right bed-to-bed service provider is essential. Consider the following factors when evaluating a medical transport company:

  • Accreditations: A bed-to-bed service provider should have the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) accreditation, which reflects a commitment to safety standards and quality patient care.
  • Medical equipment and capabilities: What type of medical equipment does the provider keep on board, and what are their critical care capabilities? Ensure they have the specialized equipment to handle your medical condition.
  • Type of aircraft: A medical transport company should fly executive-quality aircraft that meet the highest safety standards.

Benefits of AirCARE1’s Medical Transport Services

AirCARE1 offers bed-to-bed medical transport with the following advantages:

  • Safety and quality care: With CAMTS accreditation and highly trained flight and medical crews, AirCARE1 offers some of the industry’s highest-quality care. We prioritize safety, participating in the Safety Management System Voluntary Program (SMSVP) to manage risks and meet international standards.
  • A dependable fleet: AirCARE1’s aircraft fleet consists of executive-quality long-range jets with excellent safety records.
  • Empathy and compassion: AirCARE1 prioritizes empathy and compassion, ensuring you feel safe and as comfortable as possible during your flight.
  • Holistic care: We believe holistic care is an important part of healing. AirCARE1 medical teams provide extra care measures such as aromatherapy, hand massages and noise cancellation to advance healing.
  • Cost transparency: You can trust AirCARE1 to provide an honest cost estimation for each medical transport. We include everything in your contract to eliminate unexpected or hidden costs.
  • Insurance partnerships: AirCARE1 partners with various insurance providers, and we can work with your insurance company to determine what your policy covers.

Trust AirCARE1 for Safe and Compassionate Medical Transport

Medical air transport is necessary if you or a loved one requires continuous monitoring or intensive care on the way to a different hospital, a care facility or home. AirCARE1 provides bed-to-bed medical flight services you can trust.

We meet strict safety standards and provide high-quality care to give you and your loved ones peace of mind. Our experienced medical teams also provide compassionate, holistic care to encourage healing, and we want you to feel taken care of throughout the entire process. Request a quote to arrange medical air transport services or learn more about our compassionate care.