Chambers recompressing diver's database

[shellmoundal]

I understand they don't want civilians, but will take someone in a life or death situation. I don't think they are on DAN's list,but I know if there was a local accident, and Bay Co chamber was offline, they would take you. (or at least used to)

Same is true in Pensacola. The nearest chamber for civilians in a DCS situation is Mobile, Alabama. Remember, the Oriskiny is in Pensacola and is very deep. When diving it you are warned about the danger of DCS and lack of support for chambers.
We have lots of chambers in Florida but not for divers.

[Kevrumbo]

Try asking for help from these councils of the Florida Dept of Health, in setting up a non-profit Diver's only Recompression Chamber, or at least coordinating a rotating coverage network of private chamber operators on 24/7 emergency stand-by:

http://www.floridahealth.gov/provide...ils/index.html
http://www.floridahealth.gov/provide...counties13.pdf

[Kevrumbo]

Here's another idea: Get initial Diver donations, corporate sponsorship (Dive Rite, Halcyon etc) to buy a Multiplace Hyperbaric Chamber, and Local City County/State Dept Health Gov't support (High Springs & Alachua County EMS and Univ of Florida Medical Center Emergency/Hyperbaric Physicians on call), as well as a trained Volunteer Recompression Chamber Crew to operate the facility on call 24/7. House the Chamber and incorporate it as part of the High Springs Volunteer Fire Department.

Here is your model:

[Bigbadcj]

Here's another idea: Get initial Diver donations, corporate sponsorship (Dive Rite, Halcyon etc) to buy a Multiplace Hyperbaric Chamber, and Local City County/State Dept Health Gov't support (High Springs & Alachua County EMS and Univ of Florida Medical Center Emergency/Hyperbaric Physicians on call), as well as a trained Volunteer Recompression Chamber Crew to operate the facility on call 24/7. House the Chamber and incorporate it as part of the High Springs Volunteer Fire Department.

Here is your model:

Good luck finding a physician on that model. Even a tech. This has been tried way to many times.

[Kelly Jessop]

Good luck finding a physician on that model. Even a tech. This has been tried way to many times.

I think IWR may become the most reasonable option in the future- scary but true.

[Bigbadcj]

I think IWR may become the most reasonable option in the future- scary but true.

I agree and it's mindblowing we have this problem especially here in the states. However this problem isn't going to change. In the end as much as i do not agree with it. IWR will be the only way.

[Kevrumbo]

Good luck finding a physician on that model. Even a tech. This has been tried way to many times.

This is another successful model showing how to set up and sustain physician and operations staff on call 24/7 for a Non-Profit Recompression Chamber:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gpwj83Y1JiA

The operation and funding of the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is truly unique compared to the rest of the hyperbaric chambers in the United States:

• The Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is only used for diving accidents. Most other medical hyperbaric chambers in this country are used for other hyperbaric therapies and treatments such as wound healing, burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other clinical applications. These clinical treatments are the bread and butter for most chambers since diving accidents are sporadic and, luckily, not that common.

• The Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is staffed by a crew of volunteers. There are only two Chamber Crew members who are paid, a full time Director and a part time Chamber Technician. The Chamber Crew consists of approximately 80 volunteers who come from all walks of life and donate their time and energies to be on-call at the Chamber.

These two factors result in a Chamber operation that does not have many personnel costs in its operation and at the same time, if the Chamber were to depend upon income from treating divers, operational funds would be tenuous at best. How then is the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber funded, and able to be available 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year to treat diving emergencies from the recreational, fisheries, research, public safety, and military diving communities?

The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is set up as an extension of the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center - Department of Emergency Medicine and is part of the countywide Medical Alert Center (MAC). Los Angeles County provides USC with a contract which covers about half of the annual operational costs of the Chamber. L.A. County then recoups these contract funds when the County Medical Center bills the divers who are treated at the Chamber (~$4,000 for a base treatment). In essence, the County Contract is a loan against future treatments and the Chamber itself cannot bill patients for services.

If the County Contract covers only half of the operational expenses, where does the rest of funding come from? The Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber depends upon the diving community for these remaining operating funds which come from other sources, such as, fund raisers, donations, promotional items, and tuition from accident management and chamber operation courses.

About $80,000 needs to be raised from these sources each year to insure the continued operation of the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber. There are many sources of these contributions including the Avalon Harbor Underwater Clean-Up and our major fund raiser, Chamber Day & Chamber Evening. Chamber Day brings in a majority of the non-L.A. County funds for the Chamber. Chamber Day was conceived by members of the Southern California Diving Community as a way for recreational divers to have fun diving while at the same time making a financial contribution to the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber. Dive-charter boats graciously donate their time and services for the day, and divers pay to dive Catalina Island aboard one of the participating boats. All of the funds raised from the event go to support the Chamber. Chamber Evening is a fund raising dinner at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach for those people unable to get away for a day of diving...

https://dornsife.usc.edu/hyperbaric/how-funded/

[FW]

There may be another way. Using the first model, automate the whole system. The patient comes in, enters his dive profile, and selects a list of symptoms from a menu. Then sticks his credit card in a slot, and climbs into the chamber. No need for doctors, or even technicians

[Bigbadcj]

I've seen this so many times. I sell a chamber. 6 months to a year the bank goes calling like a old episode of deal or no deal. Then I'm knocking half the building down to get the thing out. California is not Florida. Much less the budget of la county. Like I said....before you sign off your savings make sure you find a doctor first. Then hope he doesn't quit. Ive seen 2 decades of failed independent chamber operations. Volunteers are great. Just make sure you have techs and doctors in line first who don't mind missing a round of golf and "giving" there time.

[Bigbadcj]

There may be another way. Using the first model, automate the whole system. The patient comes in, enters his dive profile, and selects a list of symptoms from a menu. Then sticks his credit card in a slot, and climbs into the chamber. No need for doctors, or even technicians

Usually he doesn't know his dive profile.