Helicopter Used In Hospital Training

In early December, a four-member crew flew a MH-65 Dolphin from its base at the Newport

Municipal Airport to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City. It remained on the helipad – engines on and rotors whirring – during an approximate 30-minute training exercise for the hospital’s emergency services staff. Taking off from there, the crew headed back to Newport for identical training with staff at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital.

“During our regional partner tabletop exercise in September, led by the Coast Guard, I made a suggestion that we get together for some training,” said Erik Maiorano, Emergency Management coordinator for Samaritan’s two coastal hospitals.

“Ironically, shortly after this, the Coast Guard had a rescue, and they transported a patient to

SPCH. During that offload some of the Samaritan staff were a little hesitant and asked

questions regarding the operations of the Coast Guard when they land at our facilities, as they do not shut down their helo,” Maiorano said. “This led to the perfect segue for the training we had on Dec. 4.” At both hospitals, staff learned about best practices for safely transporting patients on and off a Coast Guard helicopter, especially since the helicopter is not shut down for this process.

This includes wearing hearing protection, waiting for appropriate hand signals to proceed or stop, and making sure that everything is secure – no loose name badges, pens or blankets that could damage a rotor blade or cause injury. There are good reasons for the “hot offload” of patients, Maiorano said. By keeping engines running, the search and rescue helicopter is ready to deploy quickly without wasting time and fuel during a startup. It avoids the potential for a mechanical breakdown, which would then close the hospital helipad to others.

“The staff were well engaged with this training and asked very good questions as to what the

Coast Guard expects during these operations,” Maiorano said. At the Newport training, one participant asked about the helicopter’s range of service. The answer: Oregon-based Coast Guard crews have assisted with search and rescue as far inland as Crater Lake and Mount Hood, and have flown up to 100 miles over the Pacific Ocean to meet up with cruise ships and fishing vessels to transport ill or injured patients. It was also noted that mushroom hunters seem to be among those most commonly lost in the woods. Maiorano said similar training is being scheduled in early 2026 at the two other Samaritan hospitals in Corvallis and Albany.