Krista Haugen, Director of Patient Safety and Medical Risk Management for Med-Trans Corporation since 2016, has been given the prestigious 2017 Jim Charlson Safety Award by the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS). AAMS’ highest safety award, sponsored by Airbus Helicopters, Inc., recognizes individuals who make significant contributions to the enhancement, development and promotion of aviation safety.
After surviving a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service crash in Olympia, Wash. in 2005, a month after three of her colleagues perished in another crash, Krista found herself in uncharted territory. She became aware that the magnitude of resources needed after this type of trauma was not available.
Haugen, a flight nurse, reached out to flight nurses Megan Hamilton, Teresa Keeler and Jonathan Godfrey, also HEMS crash survivors. They shared their post-crash experiences and recognized a gap in the air medical transport industry and they filled it. The need was clear and the Survivors Network for the Air Medical Community was born.
“With more than 25 years in emergency critical care and flight nursing, and as a helicopter EMS crash survivor, Krista is passionate about mitigating the human cost of trauma stemming from incidents, accidents, illnesses and injuries,” said AAMS President and CEO Rick Sherlock. “We are proud of her concern and passion for air medical transport safety.”
Haugen participates in many industry activities, is a published writer and travels the country speaking as a safety advocate. Her commitment to critical care transport reverberates in her own words:
“Because we’re human, we can be deeply impacted by the day-to-day work we do as we care for other people, and that deeply impacts our personal lives, as well as our professional lives as we as individuals are at the very heart of the human factors model. Our safety, and that of our patients, depends heavily on our own health and well-being. And just as importantly, so does our ability to find joy in our own lives.”
Med-Trans President Rob Hamilton said, “We are so proud of Krista Haugen and her commitment to HEMS safety. She has brought that passion and concern to Med-Trans and for that our entire company and the industry we serve are grateful.”
Med-Trans, celebrating its 35th year in business, has grown into a leading national medical transport provider, focused on establishing intimate relationships with leading health systems, medical centers, and EMS agencies. With a broad range of solutions, Med-Trans is able to help its partners stay focused on patients, knowing that they have a shared value set and focus from their transportation partner.
Med-Trans is focused on establishing partnerships with hospital systems, medical centers and EMS agencies. Med-Trans offers customized air ambulance programs through alternative delivery/shared resource models, community based models and traditional hospital-based models. With relationships in 26 states and operations from more than 90 base locations, Med-Trans and its dedicated workforce of more than 1,200 employees are making a difference in lives and communities each and every day.
