New EMS service for Wyoming
Two US healthcare systems – Cody Regional Health and St Vincent Healthcare – launched a new air ambulance service in Wyoming
The hospital-run First Flight of Wyoming program launched on 1 October, and is based at the South Big Horn County Airport in the town of Greybull, in the north of the state.
The service will initially operate a limited service between 10:00hrs and 22:00hrs for the first month of its existence, before transitioning to a 24/7 service on 1 November.
The program uses a Bell 407 helicopter, is equipped to transport both adult and pediatric patients, and will conduct both on-site emergency responses and inter-facility transfers. The service is capable of reaching any hospital in the Big Horn Basin in approximately 40 minutes.
The aim of the program is to provide a more affordable air medical transport option for patients. According to a press release by the two healthcare providers, First Flight of Wyoming aims to charge between 30 and 40 per cent less than the private, for-profit air medical services.
The program is the culmination of two years of planning, as well as ‘six or seven years’ of internal discussions, according to Phillip Franklin, EMS Director at Cody Regional Health.
Private air ambulance provider Wyoming Life Flight is celebrating 40 years of operations this year.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca was a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.