>>> FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS HISTORY, LIFEFLIGHT HAS A WOMAN
AT THE HELM OF THE MEDICAL
SERVICE.
SERVICE. >> DR. LESLIE OSBORN IS THE ONLY
THIRD PERSON TO SERVE IN THAT
POSITION.
POSITION. CHANNEL 2 HEALTH REPORTER
HALEY HERNANDEZ SITS DOWN FOR A
SUNDAY CONVERSATION WITH
DR. OSBORN.
DR. OSBORN. >> Reporter: WHEN YOU DID YOU
TAKE OVER?
TAKE OVER? >> JULY FIRST WAS OUR FIRST
START DATE.
START DATE. SO I TOOK OVER AS THE MEDICAL
DIRECTOR AND THEN DAVE MYER TOOK
OVER AS THE ASSISTANT MEDICAL
DIRECTOR FOR FLIEF --
LIFEFLIGHT.
LIFEFLIGHT. >> Reporter: YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE
OF THREE DIRECTORS EVER, AND THE
FIRST FEMALE, CORRECT?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I AGREE WITH YOU.
IT’S A BIG DEAL.
NOT IN THE SENSE THAT I FEEL
LIKE I’M A BIG DEAL, BUT I THINK
THAT THE PROGRAM HAS A HISTORY
THAT’S INCREDIBLE.
THAT’S INCREDIBLE. AND ESPECIALLY THE FIRST PERSON
WHO STARTED LIFEFLIGHT IN 1976,
DR. DUKE, THAT EVERYONE KNOWS
AND LOVES, AND ESPECIALLY PEOPLE
FROM TEXAS HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW
AND LOVE VERY WELL.
>> Reporter: OF COURSE.
>> HE SET A LEGACY THAT I THINK
WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO MATCH
BUT SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE’LL
CONTINUE TO STRIVE FOR.
>> Reporter: WHAT’S IT LIKE
TAKING OVER THAT KIND OF LEGACY?
>> IT’S DAUNTING.
[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> YOU KNOW,.
>> Reporter: NOT TOO SCARY.
>> IT’S DAUNTING.
BUT I THINK IT SET THE BAR VERY
HIGH FOR US AND I THINK THE
THAT’S APPROPRIATE.
THAT’S APPROPRIATE. HIS VISION WAS TO TAKE THE CARE
WE PROVIDE IN THE EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT AND HE TROYED IN THE
TRAUMA O.R. AND TAKE TO IT THE
SCENE OF ACCIDENTS, TO THE SITE
OF THE INJURED PATIENT AND THAT
VIEW AND THAT VISION EARLY ON
WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE AND
UNMATCHED AND I THINK WE HAVE A
VISION THAT’S RELATIVELY
UNMATCHED IN THE COUNTRY.
WE’VE EXPANDED OUR VISIONS TO
INCLUDE MEDICAL PATIENTS AND
PEEDIALTY TRICKS AND OBSTETRICS
AND SPECIALIZED PATIENT CARE,
BUT WE STILL HAVE THE SAME
VISION OF TAKING WHAT WE CAN DO
THIS THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT,
DIRECTLY TO THE PATIENT, WHETHER
IT’S AT A CAR ACCIDENT OR A
LOCAL SMALLER RURAL EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT THAT NEEDS OUR HELP
AND NEEDS OUR CARE.
>> Reporter: OUT OF THE WHOLE
COUNTRY, YOUR PROGRAM SEES MORE
PATIENTS THAN ANY OTHER
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL. RIGHT?
RIGHT? >> THAT’S TRUE.
WE SEE -- WE DO ABOUT 3,000
MISSIONS A YEAR.
WE’RE THE BUSIEST HELIPAD IN THE
ENTIRE COUNTRY, CIVILIAN
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. SO IT’S -- YOU GUYS GOT TO SEE
IT THIS MORNING.
WE’RE BUSY AND UP AND RUNNING.
WE RUN 24/7, 365 DAYS A YEAR,
AND THAT’S AN ASSET TO THE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. >> Reporter: WHAT’S YOUR
BACKGROUND?
BACKGROUND? >> I WENT TO CLEMSON UNIVERSITY.
I WAS GOING TO COMPLETE COLLEGE
AND GET MY PARAMEDIC
CERTIFICATION AND THAT’S WHAT I
WAS GOING TO DO.
MY PATHS CHANGED AND I APPLIED
TO MEDICAL SCHOOL AND GOT IN,
THANKFULLY.
THANKFULLY. SO HERE I AM.
I WENT TO EMERGENCY MEDICINE
RESIDENCY IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND
GOT INVOLVED AGAIN IN EMS.
AND SO I STARTED DOING MEDICAL
DIRECTION FOR A S.W.A.T. TEAM IN
SOUTH CAROLINA.
SOUTH CAROLINA. AND HAVE CONTINUED TO DO THAT
UNTIL RECENTLY.
UNTIL RECENTLY. AND THEN I CAME HERE TO THE
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND HOUSTON
FIRE DEPARTMENT AND DID THE EMS
FELLOWSHIP IN HOUSTON IN 2016
AND THAT’S WHAT LED ME HERE AND
THAT’S WHY I’M STILL HERE.
>> Reporter: YOU HAVE A MILITARY
BACKGROUND AS WELL?
>> I DO.
>> I DO. SO I COMMISSIONED IN THE
AIR FORCE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO
HERE ON THE HELIPAD.
WE DID THE CEREMONY HERE.
AND SO I KIND OF CONTINUED TO DO
THE SAME WORK IN THE MILITARY
THAT I DO ON THE CIVILIAN SIDE.
SO I’M TRAINING AS A FLIGHT
SURGEON FOR THE AIR FORCE.
>> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU LIKE SO
MUCH ABOUT THAT?
>> IT’S NICE THAT I’M COMPLETELY
TRAINED AND READY TO GO.
I THINK THAT I CAN BE AN ANSET
TO THEM -- AN ASSET TO THEM.
I THINK OUR MILITARY MEMBERS
DESERVE QUALITY CARE.
SO IT’S TO BE INVOLVED IN
SOMETHING BIGGER THAN MYSELF AND
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
>> Reporter: WE’RE LUCKY TO HAVE
YOU.
YOU. DO YOU HAVE FUTURE PLANS FOR
LIFEFLIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON?
>> SURE.
>> SURE. THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WE’LL BE
MOVING TO A NEW BUILDING,
HELIPAD.
HELIPAD. SO WE HAVE LOGISTICS TO WORK
OUT.
OUT. I THINK AS SOMEONE NEW COMING
IN, I KNOW THE CREWS HERE AND
I’VE GOTTEN TO KNOW THEM, BUT
PART OF MY JOB IS TO GET IN AND
REFAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THEM,
WITH THE EQUIPMENT, WHAT WE’RE
DOING TO RESUSCITATE PATIENT
CARE AND LISTEN TO THEM AND SEE
WHAT THEY NEED TO ME.
THEY PROVIDE INCREDIBLE CARE,
BUT MY JOB WILL BE TO COME IN
AND DAVE’S JOB TO COME IN AND
HELP BOLSTER THE EDUCATION, MAKE
SURE THEY HAVE ALL THE TRAINING
AND EQUIPMENT THEY NEED.
>> Reporter: A LOT OF PATIENTS
MAY NOT REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE A
WHOLE BIG BRAND-NEW TOWER GOING
UP.
UP. IS THE PUBLIC GOING TO NOTICE
ANY CHANGE WHEN YOU GUYS OPEN UP
THAT TOWER?
THAT TOWER? >> OTHER THAN THE BUILDING BEING
NICE AND PRETTY AND BRAND NEW,
THEY SHOULD NOT NOTICE A CHANGE
AT ALL FROM LIFE FLIGHT.
THE SECOND THAT THE PELLI PAD
GOES LIVE, WE’LL START LANDING
THERE AND TAKING CARE OF