HOSPITAL'S CHOICES FOR NEW HELICOPTER NARROWED TO TWO

A permanent replacement helicopter to the Southeast Missouri Hospital Bell 206 that crashed Sept. 20 could be on LifeBeat's pad by the first of the year, the chief flight nurse says.

Chief Flight Nurse Rodger Huffman said the hospital's board of directors could hear a helicopter recommendation within two weeks. He said officials have narrowed the field of helicopter models from six to two. But only one will be recommended to the board.

Should the board approve the recommendation, a helicopter -- leased from St. Louis Helicopter -- would need to be painted and equipped to Southeast's specifications. "That could be done at the earliest by mid December," Huffman said.

LifeBeat's first and only helicopter, the Bell 206 leased in 1987, crashed in a fog bank near Ware, Ill., while returning to the hospital. The helicopter was destroyed, but the three crew members walked away from the wreckage with only moderate injuries.

Since then, the hospital has leased a temporary chopper from its leasing agent, St. Louis Helicopter.

Huffman wouldn't name the two helicopter models the hospital now is considering. He said cost, size and noise disqualified the other four models.

"One of them could be heard for a seven-mile radius," he said. "We didn't think anyone would appreciate that."

Patient care, feasibility, size, medical configuration and other factors were used in narrowing down the field of potential LifeBeat helicopters, Huffman said. Input from hospital administrators and LifeBeat crew members also was considered before narrowing the list.

"We even posted a message on the Internet," he said, "and got a few responses -- suggestions -- from others who do this."

The LifeBeat crew favors one of the two models, he said. But the total cost of the leasing agreement might be the final deciding factor in determining which model lands at Southeast permanently, he said.