LifeStar Chicago celebrates 35 years
The air ambulance provider was acquired by Air Methods in 2007, having started as a hospital-based program
The LifeStar Chicago air ambulance service, a subsidiary of Air Methods, is celebrating 35 years of operations. The provider marked the occasion with an open house event on 10 September at its hangar in Joliet, Illinois.
LifeStar Chicago launched in 1988, beginning as a hospital-based program operating out of the Loyola University Medical Center.
The operator was then acquired by Air Methods in 2007, and subsequently shifted to become a community-based program. In the same year, LifeStar relocated to the city of Joliet, southwest of Chicago, to better serve surrounding communities in the states of Illinois and Indiana.
Currently, LifeStar provides a 24/7, year-round emergency medical service (EMS) response, and has the capability to administer blood and plasma in-flight, alongside conducting a range of other pre-hospital procedures.
“Over the years, I’ve interacted with many phenomenal individuals from nurses, medics, pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, and other support staff. Their efforts on behalf of the patients and communities they served were always patient and safety-centered,” said Mark Cichon, LifeStar’s Medical Director of Aeromedical Services and Loyola University Medical Center Physician, Professor, and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine.
“Many individuals are enjoying their families today because of this expertise. There are many ways to describe this dedication: passion for their profession, compassion for their patients, and professionalism for this work,” he added.
The nearby town of Skokie, Illinois, approved the purchase of a DJI Matrice M300 police drone in May.