NATCHEZ — Nurse practitioner Joni Fulghum is focused on caring for critically ill and injured patients, even at 2,000 feet.

Fulghum refers to the first hour following an incident as the “golden hour,” when immediate medical intervention can make a dramatic difference in the survival and life of a trauma patient.

“With trauma, you have the golden hour, and you try not to waste it,” Fulghum said.

Losing minutes of the golden hour is now less likely in Adams County, since the Natchez Air Evac Lifeteam base opened in May on U.S. 61 South.

The company provides helicopter transport for medical emergencies, like an ambulance in the sky.

Fulghum, who’s Air Evac base is in Tennessee, was at the Natchez base Friday as part of a strike team.

Air Evac’s 101 bases in 15 states are furnished living quarters for the pilots, nurses and paramedics who are ready to fly at a moment’s notice.

Fulghum said she enjoys the flight aspect of nursing, which takes her out of the controlled environment of a hospital or clinic and puts her on the scene. She also enjoys working with paramedics.

“The nurse and paramedic setup makes a good team because you have your hospital experience and pre-hospital experience working together,” Fulghum said.

Fulghum said the flight team wants to be up in the air within 10 minutes of a call.

“We are always mission-ready, quick, fast, in a hurry,” Fulghum said.

She said once the team is safely in the air, they are given coordinates of a landing site.

“Before we land, we establish contact with the ground to be sure there are no obstructions in the landing zone, like trees and wires, and we get a brief patient report,” Fulghum said.

Fulghum said time at the scene is also kept at 10 minutes or less if possible.

For medical calls, like heart attacks and strokes, patients are often transported to area hospitals, which takes minutes. For traumatic injury, patients are often flown to University Medical Center in Jackson — a level 1 trauma center. That ride takes about 45 minutes.

Flight paramedic Brian Charczenko said his goal as a flight paramedic is simple, but serious.

“When we turn the patient over (to the hospital), and they are in better shape than when we got them, to me, that is a great day,” Charczenko said.

Fulghum described being a flight nurse as a humbling experience.

“At the hospital you’re running back and forth to different patients,” Fulghum said. “With this, you take your experience, skills and knowledge, combine that with the medic’s experience, skills and knowledge, and give it all you’ve got.”

Lynn Winter, a strike team pilot, said safety of the aircraft is the first priority.

“We’re not going to take any flight if safety is compromised,” Winter said. He said factors that could compromise the aircraft are severe weather and maintenance issues.

Winter said that a mechanic is assigned to each base who maintains the helicopter. Pilots are required to participate in simulator training every six months.

Fulghum said in her job, sometimes she gets an adrenaline rush, but for the most part she is able to stay calm.

“It’s a very exciting job,” Fulghum said. “And you’ve got to have passion to be able to do it.”

The Natchez Air Evac Lifeteam crew invites the public to attend a ribbon cutting/ open house at the base at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 29. The base is located at 10 Roux 61 Drive in Natchez, just off U.S. 61 South.

Guests will be treated to refreshments, and tours of the red, white and blue Air Evac helicopter.

“This is our way of thanking everyone in the community for their support,” said Sandy Roberts, program director in charge of operations at the base. “Air Evac Lifeteam is proud to serve the Natchez area, and we want the citizens to know how appreciative we are for being welcomed with open arms.”

The company also offers a membership program, and for an annual fee of $50 for an individual, $55 for a couple and $60 for a household, members have no out-of-pocket expenses if flown in a life-threatening medical emergency by Air Evac Lifeteam.

For more information about the open house, call Sandy Roberts at 601-807-2352. For information about Air Evac Lifeteam services, call 1-800-793-0010 or visit www.lifeteam.net.