NCRETAC HEMS Utilization & Performance Task Force — Meeting 3 Tuesday, May 13, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Microsoft Teams

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This task force was formed by the NCRETAC Board of Directors in early 2026 following a regional trauma case that raised questions about whether the system for requesting and deploying HEMS in northeastern Colorado is operating as efficiently as it should. The Board charged the Clinical and Professional Standards Committee with examining the problem and developing practical regional guidance.

Two meetings have been held to date. Introductions and case review occurred in Meeting 1 (March 24, 36 attendees). Meeting 2 (April 29, 35 attendees) produced substantive discussion through a scenario exercise and presentation of survey results. A regional survey collected 43 responses from 24 unique agencies across 9 counties. The central finding: EMS agencies — the primary users of HEMS — rate the process at 6.2 out of 10. HEMS providers rate it at 9.5. That gap is the problem this task force exists to close.

Meeting 3 (May 13, 2026) will confirm the task force’s working objectives, introduce a draft HEMS request criteria framework for regional discussion, and formally accept data reporting commitments from HEMS providers. The literature review distributed in advance of Meeting 2 — and summarized in Section 3 of this read-ahead — provides the evidence foundation for that framework. This document contains everything a member needs to participate productively in Meeting 3.

The read-ahead documents are available here. Please read ahead and contact Nick Nudell at [email protected] if there are questions before the meeting:
[https://res-2.df.onecdn.static.microsoft/files/fabric-cdn-prod_20251010.003/assets/item-types/16/docx.svg]HEMS_ReadAhead_May13_2026_v2.docx
[https://res-2.df.onecdn.static.microsoft/files/fabric-cdn-prod_20251010.003/assets/item-types/16/docx.svg]HEMS_RequestCriteria_NCRETAC_DRAFT_v1.docx
[https://res-2.df.onecdn.static.microsoft/files/fabric-cdn-prod_20251010.003/assets/item-types/16/pptx.svg]NCRETAC_HEMS_Survey_Results.pptx
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AGENDA

10:00 — Call to Order and Housekeeping (5 min — Jennifer Landis) Chair opens. Meeting conduct guidelines are in effect. Logistics: recording consent, using the hand-raise function in Teams, 2–3 minute comment limit per person.

10:05 — Survey Results Overview (10 min — Nick Nudell) Final survey dataset: 43 responses, 24 unique agencies, 9 counties. Key findings include the efficiency gap between EMS agency and HEMS provider ratings, communication and coordination issues, activation process variability, and liftoff time data gaps. Members who have not reviewed the survey results deck should do so before the meeting (available on the NCRETAC shared drive).

10:15 — Confirm Task Force Objectives (5 min — Jennifer Landis) Six proposed objectives will be presented. Group is asked to confirm, amend, or add. These objectives will anchor the work plan and inform any grant application submitted by mid-June.

10:20 — Draft Criteria Framework: First Discussion (20 min — Nick Nudell) Overview of the HEMS Request Criteria draft (attached). Discussion is directional — three questions only: (1) Do the 7 domains reflect how activation decisions are actually made in your area? (2) Are the No-Fly Zone thresholds appropriate for the NCRETAC region? (3) What is the most important gap to address before the group works through the document in detail?

10:45 — Data and Provider Reporting (10 min — Nick Nudell) Formally accept Flight For Life’s offer of quarterly liftoff time data. All HEMS programs are invited to commit to the same. First submission deadline to be set. Top themes from thematic analysis of open-response survey data.

10:50 — Next Steps and Close (5 min — Jennifer Landis) Agreed actions, owners, and due dates. Confirm next meeting. Adjourn by 11:00 AM.

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Read-ahead package and draft criteria document are attached. Please review both before the meeting.

Questions: Jennifer Landis — [email protected] | Nick Nudell — [email protected] | 970-580-2668

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