CEGA and Jet ICU leave EURAMI – UPDATE
Fixed-wing air ambulance provider CEGA has withdrawn its membership from the European Aeromedical Institute (EURAMI), following the lapse of its accreditation on 1 October. Jet ICU has also recently ceased to be a member of the Institute.
UPDATED 17 Oct 2013
Fixed-wing air ambulance provider CEGA, which operates national and international services from its base in Bournemouth Airport, UK, has withdrawn its membership from the European Aeromedical Institute (EURAMI), following the lapse of its accreditation on 1 October.
A EURAMI spokesman told Waypoint: “CEGA has formally withdrawn from EURAMI membership and is thus no longer accredited.”
EURAMI, which operates a voluntary accreditation scheme for providers around the world, awarded CEGA its highest level of certification (full accreditation – special care) in 2010. The award was valid for three years. On gaining the accreditation in 2010, CEGA issued a statement asserting that ‘EURAMI accreditation is a badge of quality that many international medical bodies are coming to expect from an effective air ambulance provider’, adding: “It is a firm endorsement of CEGA’s policies and current practice.”
Waypoint asked CEGA why it has withdrawn from EURAMI ahead of the annual members meeting in November rather than seek reaccreditation, but the firm declined to comment.
In related news, EURAMI has informed Waypoint that US-based fixed-wing air ambulance service Jet ICU has had its membership cancelled by the Institute due to ‘non-payment of membership fees and non-compliance with the reaccreditation process’. Although EURAMI recently awarded Jet ICU with provisional accreditation, this has now been removed.
In response, Mike Honeycutt, founder and CEO of Jet ICU, explained: “JET ICU attempted to work with EURAMI starting in late 2012 and the early part of 2013 towards scheduling our reaccreditation. Due to EURAMI’s operational inefficiencies, we decided not to continue with their accreditation. Since February, we have progressed and finalised our medical accreditation with NAAMTA, which we are very pleased with. [NAAMTA is] thorough and efficient, and after completing the process, it is clear they have effective controls in place that ensure transparency and consistent monitoring of standards.”