For Deb And Kevin Barbo ... Critical Care Transfer Is A 'Labor Of Love'

news1@ulyssesnews.com

Twenty-four years ago, Kevin Barbo was working on an oil rig when he and his wife, Debra, decided to branch out on their own and form Critical Care Transfer.

It is through her work with CCT that Debra received a nomination for Responder of the Week.

Jessica Morphis nominated Deb, and she is eligible for Responder of the Year.

“Because she is so kind and caring no matter what is going on - she always checks after, too,” Morphis said. “She and her husband are great for our community.”

After Kevin left the oil rig, he went back to school and became a medic. The Barbos saw a great need in Southwest Kansas and started CCT.

“We have the honor of transferring patients to a higher level of care,” said Debra. “We’re an ALS ambulance and Kevin is a medic.”

Barbo said they transfer friends, family, and patients from surrounding communities to a higher level of care. They will also transfer flight crews to and from Ulysses Municipal Airport, and it’s not unusual for the Barbos to transfer patients and their families to and from Denver, Wichita and Oklahoma City.

If the plane can’t get to Ulysses because of the weather, the Barbos will take patients to Dodge City or Garden City to meet the plane.

“This is what we’ve been blessed with the honor of doing,” Debra said, adding they have transported to children’s mercy when they fly out to take children to Kansas City, Denver or Oklahoma City. “We pick up the team and we take them to the hospital.

When the Barbos started CCT, most of the transfers were to and from Ulysses to Garden City and Wichita.

“We helped fill that void, and that way EMS and 911 could stay in-county to be here for 911 and that’s how we got started,” Debra said. “We have traveled a lot of miles, and we have met the neatest folks – families, patients, doctors, nurses in our travels.”

Debra said if a patient is airlifted to another state, but wants to come home to Kansas, CCT will travel to get them and bring them home. And that works the other way, too – if a patient is here and they want to go home to another state, the Barbos answer the call.

“We customize for our patients and we try to make sure they feel like they were treated like family,” Deb said. “Because Kevin’s a medic we can keep the IVs going and we have our own monitors and have direct contact with receiving and sending hospitals.

“If we need to talk it over with a doctor, we immediately give them a call.”

That level of communication is critical. Deb said if there’s a good estimated time of arrival and they can help a patient out, they will.

“People we’ve met have just been awesome,” Deb said. “You see people at not their best, but some of the inspiration you get from these people when they take the time to say ‘I feel better, thank you, the ride helped.’”

Kevin Barbo worked on an oil rig for more than 20 years before the opportunity to start a new career presented itself. She said many of her crew retired when Covid hit in 2020, so it’s just been her and Kevin ever since.

“If we need help on a long transfer, we have friends who are medics and they told us if we ever needed someone to go with them to just give them a call,” Deb added.

Send your medical or law enforcement nominations for Responder of the Week to news1@ulyssesnews.com or call (620) 356-1201.