Mr Cameron Edgar1
1NSW Ambulance, Sydney, Australia
The out-of-hospital environment is inherently hostile, presenting unique challenges to the delivery of safe and high-quality critical care. These challenges become more complex when they involve remote and difficult to access locations. The goals of medical care remain the same, but their delivery changes radically.
How do emergency medical services ensure the delivery of care to their community – when some of those people are on the side of a cliff, down a well or 130 nautical miles out to sea?
Through the lens of three complex aeromedical missions in hostile environments, this presentation will look at the implications of hostile environments on the delivery of safe and high-quality critical care, highlighting the importance of teamwork and human factors in achieving mission success.
Biography:
Cameron has been a Paramedic since 1994. He is a Helicopter Paramedic and member of NSW Special Casualty Access Team, responding to cliff, canyon, remote area incidents and provided support to Police tactical units, including as a member of the US Presidential Medical Team during Australian visits. He has deployed as a Medical Strike Team Leader to National disasters such as the 2009 Victorian ‘Black Saturday’ Bushfires. Cameron holds responsibility for state-wide helicopter search and rescue operations, across NSW with over 200 staff. He was awarded the Ambulance Service Medal in the 2019 and is studying a Masters in Leadership.