Traveling can be stressful, but can go from bad to worse if there is a medical emergency on the plane or at the airport.
D/FW International Airport EMS transports about 3,500 patients from the airport to area hospitals every year, according to Dr. Carrie deMoor, CEO of Code 3 Emergency Partners.
She's part of the group behind the urgent care clinic and pharmacy inside Terminal D.
She says during her research, she discovered a need for urgent care services at the D/FW International Airport, which boasts 65 million travelers a year
"This was basically an island that was unserved," said deMoor.
"Travelers are often in need of those services when they forget their medication or someone gets ill in transit."
The staff is equipped to handle most care needs, from colds to lacerations, x-rays and ultrasounds, plus tending to international travelers in need of medication after a long flight.
"On one shift, I had patients from Japan, Australia and Germany all in the same time!" said deMoor.
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They've also partnered with airlines and the airport to provide care to 65,000 employees.
Flight attendants frequently get hurt during turbulence.
Baggage handlers and mechanics also face risk of injury on the job, but nearest emergency department is miles away.
"This was a major, serious void in the map of Dallas-Fort Worth that didn't have access to care for people who are here 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," said deMoor.
Services also include a pharmacy and in a few months, the company will break ground on a freestanding emergency room at the southgate service plaza.
DeMoor says D/FW International will be the first airport in the country with an emergency department on property.
