Who was Kathy L Batterman

Namesake

Kathy L. Batterman

We miss her terribly...we wish she were still with us physically, but she lives on in her family and through the lives of others she's touched."

Kathy's husbandKurt Batterman

 

Kathy L. Batterman was born on January 13, 1955, in Joliet, Illinois.  She and her husband, Kurt, moved to Las Vegas in 1980.  They were both registered nurses in the area of critical care.

Kathy was a highly prepared and skilled clinician.  Shortly after moving to Las Vegas, Kathy became one of the first crew members for "Flight For Life" and was the first certified flight nurse in the United States.  During her career, she flew over 3,000 rescue flights and is credited with saving thousands of lives.  She not only performed her job with the most expertise of any flight nurse, but also was one of the most senior flight nurses in the United States.  While most flight nurses have careers lasting 3 to 4 years, Kathy remained in the field for 19 years.

Kathy epitomized excellence in all aspects of nursing.  Not only was she one of America's premiere flight nurses, she was a certified flight registered nurse, a certified emergency nurse, a certified critical care nurse, an advanced trauma specialist, and Nevada's first pre-hospital nurse practitioner.  She was a knowledgeable caregiver and an outstanding, well respected educator.  Her contagious energetic spirit, encouraging smile, and enthusiasm inspired many others to do their best.  She taught numerous classes every year for all the surrounding communities.  Among her students were emergency medical technicians, park rangers, boy scouts, and other health care professionals.  She assisted the Clark County and City of Las Vegas fire departments, ambulance services, and the community hospitals to obtain certification in CPR/ACLS/PALS.  She assisted in obtaining the certification for the first course of trauma nursing for emergency room nurses.

Knowing how crucial the response time is for those needing emergency care in the outlying rural communities around Las Vegas, Kathy's hard work and determination was instrumental in placing a second "Flight For Life" base in Pahrump, Nevada.

On Easter Sunday, April 4, 1999, Kathy Batterman was killed in the line of duty when the "Flight For Life" helicopter crashed in Indian Springs during a bizarre snowstorm after transporting a patient from Pahrump to a Las Vegas hospital.  She is survived by her husband, Kurt; son, Christopher; daughter, Jennifer; her parents, Bob and Pat Mackley; her sister, Pam Rowley; and her brother, David Mackley.