NZ Air Ambulance
New Zealand Air Ambulance is rolling out Celo’s healthcare messaging solution, which was also recently deployed by Doctors Without Borders globally.
With the largest aeromedical fleet in the country and operating from multiple bases, NZ Air Ambulance services communities and interacts with hospitals nationwide.
However, instant and secure communications is vital for crews to enable swift coordination and informed decision-making.
NZ-founded Celo's system enables ambulance aeromedical teams and third parties to easily and securely interact and communicate over a platform designed specifically for that purpose.
Features include an intuitive interface, streamlined real-time communication, and a security structure that meets ISO27001 and HIPAA standards.
NZ Air Ambulance CEO Annabel Toogood said the major benefit of the Celo system was that it is purpose-built for the healthcare environment and was a standalone mission-focused tool rather than an add-on to platforms that have other primary uses.
“Given our scale and approach, including our provision of 24/7 mission coordination capability developed through our work with Starship & Organ Donation NZ, we’re committed to ongoing investment in new technologies that enable us to continue to lead the way in raising the bar in aeromedical services," Toogood said.
“Some of the third party care teams we deal with already use the Celo system and we have ensured that our licence agreement with Celo extends to cover other third parties to enable full interoperability, as this is key to patient outcomes."
Celo’s domestic customers include a number of DHBs including Auckland, Canterbury and Bay of Plenty as well as residential care provider Third Age Health, with a growing number of international customers serviced from the firm's US office.
A global partnership has also seen Celo's solution deployed across with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders' teams in over 86 countries.
Celo founder and CEO Steve Vlok said Celo's home market remained a key focus, however.
“This partnership mirrors our resolute commitment to pioneering technology that generates tangible real-world impact," Vlok said. "We are eagerly looking forward to supporting NZ Air Ambulance in their remarkable endeavours to save lives."
New Zealand Air Ambulance has a fleet of 11 fixed-wing aircraft and six air ambulance bases across New Zealand. It holds contracts with Te Whatu Ora and the National Ambulance Sector Office (NASO), and operates regional air ambulance services for Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay and Southland.
Its Auckland base operates the country's national Starship air ambulance service, flying Starship paediatric intensive care teams throughout the country retrieving critically ill children, and also coordinates New Zealand’s heart-lung machine (ECMO) and Organ Donation NZ’s retrieval services.
