SEATTLE — An "emergency medicine legend" in the Pacific Northwest passed away on Friday, July 26, as the University of Washington announced that Dr. Michael Copass died.
Dr. Copass was the director of emergency services for decades at Harborview Medical Center. He also founded Airlift Northwest in 1982, which has taken over 100,000 patients to critical medical care in the region since its founding.
“Dr. Michael Copass was a visionary leader who revolutionized the field of emergency medical care," said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell in a release. "His innovative work to strengthen the Medic One program, a partnership between the Seattle Fire Department and medical providers, has become a national model for excellence in pre-hospital care, saving countless lives. He is a true hero and made an indelible impact on our city. My thoughts are with his family.”
Dr. Copass began his medical career with UW Medicine in 1969 after serving in the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
"Dr. Copass was a beacon of excellence, setting high standards for himself and those around him,” said Dr. Tim Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine and Dean of the UW School of Medicine. "Few individuals have had such a profound impact on the communities they served as he pioneered life-saving pre-hospital care and ensured Harborview was ready to provide the highest quality care for the most vulnerable and most critically ill when they arrived at the hospital. He was admired for always being ready for an emergency, whether it was carrying a radio to go to the scene of an accident himself, providing medical advice to paramedics, personally attending to patients or mentoring colleagues.”
"He had a pager, and a radio with him at all times. And he would frequently come on at three in the morning and provide advice to the paramedics. I don't know that he ever slept," said Dr. Michael Sayre, medical director for the Seattle Medic One program.
Dr. Sayre worked closely with Dr. Copass for many years, and he told KING 5 that his legacy lives on, "in so many ways.”
"He helped ensure many people returned to their jobs, to their families... that mothers and fathers still had a kid," said Dr. Sayre. "He trained generations of paramedics in the region, not just in Seattle and King County, but also in the region.”
He also established a world-renowned paramedic training program, which Dr. Sayre describes as, "among the best in the world.”
Dr. Copass saved so many lives, it’s tough to keep count. But his genius was not just about quantity. Above all, it was quality - and equality.
According to Dr. Sayre, with Airlift Northwest, he dedicated himself to finding the best way to provide a high-functioning EMS system for rural communities. During a work trip to Sitka, Alaska in 1981, he saw the need first-hand after a bad house fire.
"There were several burned children," said Dr. Sayre.
The children needed to be transported to Seattle to get the proper care.
"He spent hours and hours trying to arrange for this transfer, and the children did not have a good outcome because of that delay," said Dr. Sayre. "So that really galvanized him and motivated him to create Airlift Northwest.”
Over the course of the next several decades, Dr. Copass maintained an inclusive standard of care throughout his career.
After suffering a stroke in 2013, Dr. Copass lost his ability to work. The exact cause of his death on Friday is unknown at this time.
He is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.