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Meducare's perfect safety record 15 years, counting When a one-month-old MUSC patient needed to be transported home to Panama last year, doctors relied on Meducare’s airplane service and pediatric flight team to deliver the bundle of joy safely.  This year, Meducare—which serves MUSC with ambulances, helicopters and airplanes—celebrates a perfect safety record in 15 years of transporting Medical University patients.  Since July of 1987, Meducare has transported or dispatched more than 95,000 patients by ambulance, helicopter or airplane to locations all over South Carolina, and occasionally beyond. “We are incredibly proud of our perfect safety record,” says Meducare operations coordinator David Pilkenton. “We have one of the best patient transport service records in the country.” The specially trained staff at the Meducare Communications Center fields and relays calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, dispatching adult or pediatric critical care teams by ground and air. Meducare provides state-of-the-art transportation suited to a variety of patient needs. The custom-built ambulance fleet includes a mobile intensive care unit. The twin-engine helicopter has a cruising speed of 150 miles an hour, allowing it to travel to hard-to-reach locations quickly. For more distant transports, medically equipped turboprop and jet aircraft are available. Meducare’s combination of state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained staff earned this perfect track record.  “Since Meducare started transporting patients in 1987, its safety practices have been constantly evaluated and upgraded,” said Pilkenton. “We continually strive to be the best.” Meducare in action, saving lives July 1987 - November 2002  95,000 dispatched calls 87,500 ambulance transports 9,300 helicopter transports 1,075 fixed wing airplane transports   Editor's note: The article is reprinted from Checkup newsletter, produced by MUSC Creative Services.            Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.