Health Care District of Palm Beach County receive AW169 helicopter

The first of two Leonardo AW169 helicopters has been delivered to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, Florida.

The AW169 helicopters were selected for Trauma Hawk following more than a decade of planning and due diligence. It’s anticipated the second helicopter will also be delivered this month.

“This marks a new era in the Health Care District’s commitment to delivering safe, high-quality trauma services to our community,” said Darcy J. Davis, CEO of the Health Care District. “These state-of-the-art helicopters will provide swift and efficient air transportation to enhance patient access to critical medical services and improved healthcare outcomes.”

The Leonardo AW169 helicopters will replace the current Sikorsky S76-C+ aircraft, which have served the Health Care District and Palm Beach County since 1999.

The new aircraft will remain out of service during a transition period while the flight team and mechanics complete specialized training to ensure a seamless shift to the new helicopters early next year. The Sikorsky aircraft will remain in service throughout the transition.

Kenneth A. Scheppke, MD, FAEMS, Medical Director of the Health Care District’s aeromedical and ground transportation programs and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, commented: “These new, technologically advanced aircraft will play a key role in EMS response by providing critically ill and injured patients access to safe and rapid air transport.”

One of the new standout features of the AW169 is its longitudinal roll-on stretcher system. This technology minimizes patient movement during loading and unloading, providing a safe and efficient means of transport directly to a specialized medical center like one of the county’s two Level 1 trauma centers. As a result, the Trauma Hawk medical team will no longer need to transfer patients onto hospital stretchers at the helipad, saving crucial minutes during missions.