It is a common misconception that only a major disaster or thousands of demonstrators receive the immediate attention of the government or large companies. On December 29, 2006, I saw this misconception wrong. It was a normal day in our busy emergency department. We ran at 100 percent Sign sense that there are so many patients waiting in the lobby, we had the room and chairs in the emergency room treatment.

In the early afternoon, a 49-year-old man with severe pain in the chest. "Glen" was sweaty, short of breath, and looked very sick. This was a very pleasant gentleman Navy veterans, the VA Hospital right next door in our hospital - Highlands Regional Medical Center. "Glen" had experienced this type of chest pain for almost three years before this situation, as a near catastrophic tear in the aorta (the main artery, the blood from the heart to the rest of the body). After his aorta was surgically repaired, "Glen" and all his doctors orders, and was perfectly fine ... until shortly before we saw him.

I had an emergency CT scan of his chest to show that apparently exactly what he had feared, another tear in his aorta, but this one was the whole length of the aorta from the tip of his heart to the legs. A city the size of Sebring, Florida does not have the means to repair such a severe, life-threatening problem. So I tried to "Glen" back to the surgeon at Tampa General Hospital had previously defined "Glen's" problem. However, when I described "Glen's" current problem, the surgeon at Tampa General indicated his problem was too complex, even at that prestigious institution. He recommended the University of Florida in Gainesville Shand hospital. Unfortunately, the answer was the same, and every other major medical centers in Florida, the case was too complex for any institution in Florida.

Normally, if another hospital is not able to provide health care, this is the end of their participation. The hospital is just outside of their normal day, but today would be different. Each hospital, we have, except one who would continue to participate in the care of these patients. You have no medical services directly, but it has the initiative to assist in the search for an expert, both in a position to make the necessary operations and had the funds available to complete the operation on a holiday weekend.

The commitment of effort and resources are not only outside of hospitals. During the subsequent 12 hours, our own hospital administrator asking the entire resources of the HMA, the nationwide Hospital Corporation, the Highlands Regional Medical Center. The Vice President of Nursing at Highlands Regional Medical Center would be based on all of their professional contacts, their religious beliefs and their social contacts. Emergency Room Doctors' group with whom I work, ED Care Management, also raised its muscles in the role as Regional Vice President Member of the ad hoc phone bank. Within 6 hours, there were literally Results of Top Doctors and nurses in the country telephoning attempt to find this person, this average guy, the right specialists in the right facility.

Through the work and the contribution of these many institutions and medical professionals, a surgical experts at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, but there was a problem - a lack of available bed space. Once again the efforts of many to convergence. The University of Alabama Birmingham have been determined that the efforts of the results of their colleagues would not be wasting that space in front of the bed. Some of us even joked that they have built a crib for "Glen."

As so often in life, hardly had a problem solved than another arose. How would we transport critically ill individual on a holiday weekend from Sebring, Florida, to Birmingham, Alabama? In the emerging medical transportation is needed, medical professionals and the general public assume that a helicopter "is just a phone call away." Unfortunately, the reality of the limitations of fuel, air and space limitations also licenses the helicopter (in the industry as rotary-wing) transport impossible, in this case. This meant that the patient would have to fly in a Jet Air Ambulance (also known as fixed wing).

Each air ambulance service in Florida was contacted. For security reasons, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the borders, air medical crews to 12 operating hours per 24 hours. Because of the holidays and the cyclical nature of medical illnesses, all civilian air rescue system used all the available air medical crew hours. No air-crew would be responsible for at least nine hours to begin, even flying to our facility. Unfortunately, Glen could not survive so long. Time was definitely against us.

The Air Ambulance is fiercely competitive. Air ambulances are obscenely expensive to operate and their services are not reimbursed by insurance (if ever). Because of the stiff competition, these companies, while the friendly and collegial, rarely work together. Tonight it. Air crews and air dispatcher of the largest companies, in an attempt to "Cobble together a plane with the crew enough time to make a single flight - stop in Sebring, take the patient and fly to Birmingham. Then the team would be used in Alabama for an additional 12 hours of mandatory rest

Simultaneously, the rotary wing at Tampa General, known as Aeromed started the calls of their own. As the civilian fixed wing options are exhausted, Aeromed referred MacDill Air Force Base and the Coast Guard. With the support of MacDill Air Force Base, Aeromed to the Coastguard duty officer and a plea for a military medical evacuation flight to Sebring Birmingham.

Their efforts paid off. Within minutes, the obligation for officials of the Coast Guard Station Miami called Highlands Regional Medical Center, to medical information about the patient. He hurried to his chain of command and receive approval for a flight. After a flight has been approved and the planning started, the duty officer to contact us at Highlands Regional Medical Center to help us in obtaining the requisite approvals by the federal Air Force Rescue Command Center.

The obligation to publish the Air Force Rescue Command Center was also eager to help. The Air Force duty officer has the information and presented it to his chain of command. With the Air Force Rescue Command Center approval in hand, the Air Force duty officer contacted us to help us in obtaining a State of Florida application for intervention by the federal government. This step is essential that the federal government assets, including the military, support in these is a medical emergency.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management duty officer has the information and contact with the governor in the middle of the night. Shortly thereafter, a duty officer recall that Jeb Bush is in the name of a man, "Glen", was formally to help the federal government. Since I was not just the emergency room doctor for the "Glen's" care, but a Federal Medical Officer with the Department of Homeland Security National Disaster Medical System Disaster Medical Assistance Team-FL3, I was asked, when the air medical crew for the mission. In moments of duty officer for Coast Guard Station Miami called to confirm that the coastguard had authorization for Coast Guard Rescue Flight 2114th "Glen's" wife would be on this flight than my nurse. ED Care Management physician staffing shift "on the fly" to cover for me in my absence. The mission was a go.

If this small group met at the airport, they were 3 of AMT Vaele Anthony, a young Navy veteran now at the Coast Guard. Despite the fact that Tony had almost 20 hours in the air on that day, he welcomed the group with a big smile and a warm handshake. AMT 2 mats Gerber was the engineer / radar officer in the back of the aircraft. He informed me about the safety and operation of the airplane, so I patients during our 90-minute flight. Lieutenant Jason Barrett and Lieutenant Bill Bashwinger tested the aircraft with precision and speed. Vollen Determann professionals, these men were the personification of military precision. The four men had a permanent smile is apparently aware of the fact that they are not only the Coast Guard, but also a nation of concerned neighbors working together for Glen. They were of course pleased, a part of saving a man's life.

If the patient's condition deteriorated in the flight the pilots hurried her pace. The Falcon, which already seemed to move as fast as it could, and faster than any commercial flight, accelerated with a stitch. In what seemed only moments, final proceedings began.

After the landing, "" Glen "and his wife were on a waiting list quickly University of Alabama at Birmingham ambulance. The EMT and paramedic who have been on duty close to 22 hours with the couple and me with a smile and a warm handshake. Your "Welcome to Birmingham!" Almost seemed planned for the brightening of the mood that was necessary at this time. A quick ambulance ride to the University of Birmingham, Alabama and Glen safely in the hands of the surgical team in a position to state treatment. But this is not the end of the story.

Since I am back to the waiting Coast Guard aircraft, the University of Alabama at Birmingham queried team with great enthusiasm about the flight and the likelihood that such a man would have a place where he no chance of survival for hundreds of miles and a state line to a place where his probability of survival was maximized. They marveled that not only a hospital, but an entire hospital Corporation, would be on such a task. They were amazed that not only the sister hospitals and colleagues, such an effort, but that several state and federal authorities and also the governor of Florida would come to the aid of the young people. They seemed too much comfort in the fact that if it ever turn something could happen for them.

As Coast Guard Flight Line for 2114 at home to Coast Guard Station Miami, the team, in an almost festive mood, jokes and exchanging congratulations with each other and with me that a part of the rescue of a man. They admitted that they are never on a mission like this. These pilots and professional pilots, the protectors of our country for safety and that of a man's life, now flew home with uplifted hearts and uplifted spirits for what they had heard, for what they had helped, and for that which they had made possible.

The next time that each of us can be heard saying that America is not that our government does not care that our elected representatives are not that big companies are not that doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals no matter - they remember, the 29th December 2006, when the resources of an entire nation gathered for a moment in the small town of Sebring, Florida for a family on the wings of four Coast Guard Angels, a lonely life.

Semper Paratus

Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez is co-founder of Disaster Life Support of North America, Inc., a national provider of Disaster Preparation, Planning, Response and Recovery education. Through his consulting firm High Alert, LLC. "Is it on expert panels for pandemic preparedness and increase health plan with Congress and Cabinet members. Board certified in multiple medical specialties, Dr. Ramirez is a founding member of chairman of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer for the Department of Homeland Security. Cited in 24 textbooks with numerous published articles, he is co-author of the C5RITICAL and author of the championship against adversity. Dr. Ramirez invites comments: http://www.disaster-blog.com