US air medical services provider Life Link III has announced plans to open a new base of operations in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, in spring 2022.
Life Link III currently has ten bases situated throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. The new facility at Detroit Lakes Airport will feature a hangar, offices and crew quarters, and will operate 24 hours a day, all year round.
Life Link III is the largest hospital-based non-profit air medical consortium in the United States. Ten health systems make up the consortium, including Essentia Health, which has 14 hospitals, 72 clinics and other facilities across Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Life Link III to expand access to emergency medical services to everyone in Detroit Lakes, Becker County and our surrounding communities,” said Tanner Goodrich, Essentia’s senior vice-president of operations. “In emergency situations, timely access to care can be the difference in life and death. The commitment to access and quality by Essentia Health and Life Link III will improve health outcomes in the communities that we serve.”
“Life Link III has been a great care partner to Essentia Health throughout the years, from relocating a helicopter to the Detroit Lakes area to assisting in medical coverage for large-scale community events,” added Joe Newton, senior director of emergency medical services for Essentia.
“We are excited to have them locating here full-time to provide rapid transportation and care for seriously injured or critically ill patients in need of time-sensitive treatment. These patients often had to wait for air medical resources from Fargo, Bemidji, Brainerd or Alexandria. Detroit Lakes is an ideal location to serve the needs of rural hospitals and EMS services in the area,” he noted.
“We are proud to support the evolving needs of Essentia Health, this region, and the critically ill and injured patients who depend on us every day,” said Josh Howell, CEO at Life Link III. “Together, Life Link III and Essentia, as well as our valued healthcare, public safety and EMS partners, will work collaboratively to ensure an unwavering commitment to quality, safety and exceptional patient care.”
