NCRETAC — Clinical & Professional Standards Committee
HEMS Utilization & Performance Task Force
📅 Tuesday, July 28, 2026
🕐 10:00 – 10:50 AM Mountain
💻 Virtual Only — Microsoft Teams
Opening
▶ Call to Order — Jennifer Landis, BSN, RN, TCRN, EMT-P (ret.), Task Force Chair
▶ Roll Call & Introductions
▶ Public Comment
Section I
Standing Reports
Executive Director Report
Nick Nudell, PhD(c), MS, MPhil, NRP, WP-C — Executive Director
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Task Force Chair Report
Jennifer Landis, BSN, RN, TCRN, EMT-P (ret.) — Task Force Chair
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- Review of the June 23 meeting minutes
- Progress since the last meeting
- Reminder: elected sector representatives are voting and speaking members; all others participate during designated public comment periods
Section II
Task Force Business
Agenda in Development
Specific agenda items will be added as they are confirmed. Meeting agendas are typically finalized about one week before the meeting. The anticipated topics below carry forward from the June 23 meeting.
Singular Communication Method for HEMS Activation from Ground
Discussion Item 1
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Ground EMS agencies currently contact HEMS services through a range of methods — direct radio, dispatch relay, phone, and others. This creates variability in activation speed and situational awareness. The Task Force will discuss whether establishing a single standardized communication method for HEMS activation from the ground would reduce friction and improve outcomes.
Continuing from June 23
The task force continued this discussion at the June 23 meeting. Ground EMS elected members are asked to share any additional findings and perspectives.
Public Comment — Following Discussion Item 1
Members of the public are invited to comment on the preceding discussion item. Comments are limited to three minutes per speaker. Direct comments to the Chair.
Clinical Criteria for HEMS Activation
Discussion Item 2 — Research distributed prior to meeting
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The Task Force will review a draft set of research-based clinical criteria for standardizing HEMS activation decisions in the field. The goal is a minimum standard recommendation that reduces variation and improves patient outcomes — without preventing any agency from making additions appropriate to their context.
Continuing from June 23
Jenn Landis distributed a draft criteria document and research article synopses in June. Review of the draft criteria continues at this meeting.
Research Supporting This Discussion
Establishing a Consensus-Based Definition of Air Medical Transport Need for Rural Patients After Injury
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Methods: Expert Delphi panel — trauma surgeons, anesthesiologists, critical care, emergency medicine, and EMS — developed a consensus-based tool for air medical transport indications.
Clinical Implications: Evidence-based tool to reduce over- and under-triage. Aligns patient need with available resources in rural settings. Recommends air medical transport for injured patients who would benefit from specialized care, clinically significant pre-hospital time savings, or factors prohibiting appropriate ground transport.
Appropriate and Safe Utilization of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services
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Methods: Joint position statement from AMPA, ACEP, NAEMSP, and AAEM on HEMS utilization standards.
Clinical Implications: HEMS improves survival when used appropriately: medical necessity, evidence-based guidelines, safety, and integration into the EMS and healthcare system. Formal utilization guidelines are essential for proper patient selection. Protocols shorten launch time and prevent inappropriate over- or under-utilization.
Use of Helicopters to Reduce Health Care System Delay in STEMI Patients
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Methods: Multicenter retrospective observational study over 17 years comparing HEMS vs. ground EMS for STEMI patients. Focused on time to PCI and outcomes.
Clinical Implications: HEMS increased transports to a definitive invasive center by 52%. Enables reperfusion therapy within 120 minutes for rural patients beyond 75 km. Time savings to PCI of 14–29 minutes. Interfacility transfer is not associated with timely reperfusion — scene-to-PCI is where HEMS provides the greatest benefit.
Use of the Autolaunch Method of Dispatching a Helicopter
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Methods: Investigated trauma outcomes comparing autolaunch vs. traditional dispatch over two years. Criteria for autolaunch developed and tested. Medical patients excluded.
Clinical Implications: Improved outcomes: shorter ICU and hospital length of stay. Approximately 4 minutes faster. Effective when paired with clear criteria, trained dispatchers, and integrated EMS systems. Improved working relationships between HEMS, ground EMS, and law enforcement.
Public Comment — Following Discussion Item 2
Members of the public are invited to comment on the preceding discussion item. Comments are limited to three minutes per speaker. Direct comments to the Chair.
Distance-Based Criteria for HEMS Activation
Discussion Item 3 — Carried forward from June 23
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The task force will discuss whether distance-based criteria should be part of the HEMS activation framework, and how distance interacts with the clinical criteria and communication method work from prior meetings. This discussion was deferred from the June 23 meeting to allow adequate time.
Public Comment — Following Discussion Item 3
Members of the public are invited to comment on the preceding discussion item. Comments are limited to three minutes per speaker. Direct comments to the Chair.
Section III
Advisory Business & Look Ahead
Agenda Items for Future Meetings
Planning and priorities
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- Next meeting: Tuesday, August 25, 2026 — 10:00 AM Mountain — Virtual Only
- Nick Nudell will distribute the August meeting invite
- Upcoming reporting obligations to the Clinical and Professional Standards Committee
About
HEMS Task Force Charter
Purpose
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The Helicopter EMS Utilization and Performance Task Force is established by NCRETAC to evaluate and improve the clinical utilization, request processes, data visibility, and performance monitoring of helicopter EMS services across the region.
This task force provides a collaborative forum for EMS agencies, medical directors, dispatch partners, trauma system stakeholders, and air medical programs to develop a shared understanding of regional HEMS utilization and identify opportunities for system improvement. The goal is consistent, clinically appropriate, and data-informed use of air medical resources in alignment with patient needs, geographic realities, and system capacity.
Scope of Work
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Key Focus Areas
- Evaluating current HEMS utilization patterns across the region
- Reviewing request and activation processes, including clinical indications, decision pathways, and interagency coordination
- Assessing available tracking mechanisms and data sources related to HEMS requests, responses, cancellations, and outcomes
Specific Tasks
- Reviewing regional policies, guidelines, and informal practices related to HEMS activation
- Examining variability in utilization and request processes across agencies or operational settings
- Identifying gaps in data availability, data quality, or performance reporting
- Developing recommendations to improve clinical decision support, documentation, tracking, and performance monitoring
- Promoting consistency, transparency, and shared understanding of best practices for helicopter EMS utilization
Potential Deliverables
If interest and perceived value exist among participants, the task force may also explore:
- A HEMS utilization framework describing clinical need, operational context, and system performance considerations
- A regional HEMS performance dashboard highlighting utilization patterns and operational indicators
- A HEMS request taxonomy to improve consistency in documenting the primary drivers of helicopter requests
- A regional HEMS utilization map illustrating request locations, transport destinations, and geographic access to care
- A decision-support matrix describing common clinical and operational factors considered when requesting helicopter transport
Authority
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- Authorized by the NCRETAC Board of Directors through the Clinical and Professional Standards Committee
- Makes recommendations to the Clinical and Professional Standards Committee regarding focus areas and proposed improvements to regional practice, data tracking, or system performance monitoring
- The Committee may advance recommendations to the Board for consideration as appropriate
- Does not have authority to enter into contracts or make decisions on behalf of NCRETAC without prior Board approval
Participation
Get Involved with the HEMS Task Force
- Physicians, air medical providers, EMS agencies, and hospital partners across Northeast Colorado are encouraged to participate
- The Task Force meets as needed and benefits from broad regional representation across all six sectors
- Direct influence on regional air medical utilization standards, clinical quality, and system performance
Meeting Conduct & Participation
Parliamentary Authority
Meetings are conducted under Robert’s Rules of Order, except where NCRETAC Bylaws or adopted policies provide otherwise.
Public Comment
Public comment periods are designated on the agenda. Speakers are limited to three minutes. Comments should be directed to the Chair.
Conduct
Diversity of thoughts, lived experiences, and perspectives are valued here. Disruptive, rude, or vulgar behavior is not appropriate and may result in removal from the meeting.
▶ Adjourn
