Four healthcare providers in the US state of Virginia have formed an air medical transport alliance that will increase access and shorten response times for patients requiring critical care air transport in the region. The agreement between VCU Health System, Bon Secours, Mary Washington Healthcare and Riverside Health System will build on the existing air medical services provided by VCU’s LifeEvac programme.
As a result of the alliance, the number of LifeEvac bases is increasing from two to three, with a new location being added in Hanover. The Dinwiddie County Airport base is being relocated to Bon Secours Southside Medical Center in Petersburg, while the third base will remain at Middle Peninsula Airport in West Point.
“When a patient is critically ill or injured, seconds count,” said Art Kellermann, senior vice-president for health sciences at VCU and CEO of VCU Health System. “So does skill, dedication and teamwork. This new alliance proves that when community-based health systems come together to serve all Virginians, good things happen. It will save lives.”
Med-Trans, part of the Global Medical Response group of companies, will be supplying and operating the three helicopters – two H135s and an H145 – for the expanded LifeEvac programme. The fleet will provide accident scene response and critical care air transport services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Med-Trans has taken over from Air Methods as VCU’s aviation partner. “We are grateful for our long-term partnership with Air Methods Corporation, which began in 2001,” said Bert Bogue, critical care transport network administrator at VCU Health. “Thousands of patients from across the Commonwealth and beyond have benefited from extraordinary flight service and in-transit critical care over nearly two decades.
“Our new partnership with Med-Trans positions us to further expand our geographical footprint to help even more people in need across the region,” he noted.
“Med-Trans is proud to partner with these outstanding hospitals to provide rapid, safe transport to patients in need of a higher level of emergency health care,” stated Kim Montgomery, chief operating officer for Med-Trans. “Our expert pilots and aviation maintenance professionals provide the highest level of safety for flight crews and patients.”
