Medical Airlift Communications Specialist

Position Highlights

Responsible for receiving flight requests and for the timely dispatch and coordination of all Airlift Northwest flight activities according to established protocols and procedures.

Cover all aspects of transport for Airlift NW flights including launching flight crew and relaying necessary information, arranging for ground transport at referring and receiving medical facilities when necessary, in timely fashion relay information regarding patient medical condition and estimated time of arrival to both the referring and receiving medical facilities or dispatch centers.

Opportunity to help expand care to underserved communities.

Primary Job Responsibilities

• Timely call receiving of both emergent and non-emergent telephone lines into the Airlift Northwest communications center. Calls are received by physicians, nurses, other communications centers and the public.
• Operate multiple radio frequencies to communicate with aircraft to relay medical, operational information. Provide necessary communication assistance in cooperation with other agencies including ambulances, law enforcement and fire department, rescue groups.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of Airlift Northwest call receiving protocols, and appropriately route calls to the transport team, medical director, maintenance, or Airlift Northwest Administrator on Call.
• Be the point of contact for various law enforcement, fire department and rescue teams in the event of a lost Airlift Northwest aircraft.
• Demonstrate proficiency with all Airlift Northwest communications center equipment to include: computers, computer aided dispatch software, voice recorders, paging system and radio. Must be able to implement the Power Outage backup plan in the event of loss of power to the communication center.
• In the event of an in-flight emergency must activate the Airlift Northwest Post Accident Implementation Plan (PAIP) immediately.
• Obtain excellent working knowledge of multiple regional EMS systems. In the event of a regional disaster continue to operate the Airlift Northwest communications center.
• Participate in change of shift briefings to include: flights during last 12 hours, flights in progress, weather report, aircraft status report, crew status report, any unusual events. At start of each shift ensure that all necessary equipment is operational.

About Airlift Northwest

Airlift Northwest is dedicated to providing safe, efficient and compassionate air medical transport for critically ill and injured infants, children and adults, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The region's first air medical transport service, Airlift Northwest has flown more than 100,000 patients since its founding in 1982. Its helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are strategically located at eight bases throughout the Pacific Northwest and Southeast Alaska.

All across UW Medicine, our employees collaborate to perform the highest quality work with integrity and compassion and to create a respectful, welcoming environment where every patient, family, student and colleague is valued and honored.

About UW Medicine

UW Medicine is Washington’s only health system that includes a top-rated medical school and an internationally recognized research center. UW Medicine’s mission is to improve the health of the public by advancing medical knowledge, providing outstanding primary and specialty care to the people of the region, and preparing tomorrow’s physicians, scientists and other health professionals.

Required Qualifications

• High school graduation
• Two years of experience in a public emergency communications center
• Proficiency in medical terminology