Baptist Life Flight 3 has gotten some very good news for those it serves.

Bryan Bates, clinical base lead for Life Flight 3, which serves the Greenville area, says the program’s recent Critical Care accreditation with CAMTS (Commission for Accreditation for Medical Transport Systems) means patients and their loved ones can be certain they are receiving “a higher standard of care across the board.”

“CAMTS is a joint commission which accredits medical air transport,” Bates explained. “We’ve been working toward this special accreditation for quite a while, and for the past six months our bases throughout the southeast region have made a concerted effort to meet and exceed the standards for accreditation.”

A total of 35 bases in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina underwent this stringent inspection.

CAMTS made numerous visits to the bases for stage level surveys throughout June, researched aviation and clinical records, and thoroughly quizzed all personnel to determine their preparedness for every possible situation, Bates said.

“By giving us this accreditation, CAMTS is saying that by the level and quality of training for the nurse and paramedic on board each flight, by all safety standards undertaken by the pilot and medical crew and from an educational perspective, our patients are receiving the highest level of care you can expect,” Bates said. “And if you use the services of one of the other bases with this accreditation, you can expect pretty much those same high standards.”

The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems is an independent, non-profit agency based in Sandy Springs, South Carolina, which audits and accredits fixed-wing, rotary wing, and surface medical transport services worldwide to a set of industry-established criteria.  Their goal is to improve both patient care and transport safety.