More on healthcare aviation in Southwest Virginia

Just before this spring, I made a few observations on corporate healthcare and air superiority in southwest Virginia.

I’d like to give a gentleman identifying himself as a pilot with one of the helicopter services mentioned in the aforementioned post a forum today:

HEY DOUCHE BAG, I am a pilot on Wings X. We have six aircraft total and Wellmont just bought one which makes a total of seven, someone needs to get some facts straight before you puke out the mouth like this…. and just to wonder how stupid shit like this gets started…Thanks for nothing assbag!
*your daddy*

Comment by Lt. Matt Hughes — May 29, 2008 @ 12:12 am

And thanks for leaving a way to respond, Lt. Matt. I think the issue is MSHA vs. Wellmont in their never-ending quest to create a monopoly and that quest spilling over into Wise County. I don’t think I’ve questioned Wings Air Rescue’s motives, commitment to patient care, or quality of service. If you want to raise such questions, please feel free.

Personally, I’m glad that Wings has six helos, although that tidbit seems not to have made it in the local papers that I’ve seen. Whether those helos would all be available for a major Wise County medevac crisis is another issue of logisitics, however. I’m glad that Wellmont has a helo too. What it comes down to is that MSHA is trying to deny Wellmont the same internal fast-transport capability for its SWVA facilities that MSHA now enjoys.

And if I’m a douchebag for pointing out that issue, then thank you for your humanitarian spirit. And, if I have to go to a Wellmont facility over here and get transferred to a critical care facility, pass on my thanks to MSHA for making possible either the ambulance ride or the wait for a Virginia State Police helo.

Recommendation: If I were you, I’d do my level best to stay from between MSHA and Wellmont in their quest for market superiority. It hasn’t been pretty in Tennessee and it doesn’t look that great in southwest Virginia.

Comment by Former Frontier Editor — May 29, 2008

 

 

 

As I recall, the departing Wise County Administrator recently was quoted in a newspaper that he had concerns that Wellmont was either pushed or persuaded to back out of its request to operate a helo service at its southwest Virginia facilities. Would you like to take the opportunity to call him a douchebag as well?

No wonder healthcare issues leave a bad taste in the mouths of some local residents.

Incidentally, I can state with authority that Matt Hughes is, in fact, not ‘my daddy’ and that, genetically speaking, I am not a colostomy or enema bag nor am I compatible for use with Summer’s Eve or similar products.

  

You have a good day, Lt. Matt.