Heidi Stump, Flight Medic

Appalachian Care Chronicles

When serious accidents or injuries occur in remote and rural places like West Virginia, an emergency helicopter is sometimes a person’s sole chance at survival. No spoilers—but, this episode, we’re in for a wild ride.

In this episode, we’re traveling through the sky with Heidi Stump, critical care flight paramedic with Health Net in Beckley, West Virginia. Critical care air transport is a valuable component of any effective healthcare system, but it’s particularly vital in remote and rural places like West Virginia, where so much of our population lives nestled deep in the hills, accessible only by bumpy backroads, often hours from the nearest hospital. When serious accidents or injuries occur in these environments, an emergency helicopter is sometimes a person’s sole chance at survival. For flight paramedics like Heidi (and their teams), these highest-of-high stakes give a powerful sense of purpose to their work.