New Avera Careflight hanger opened in Pierre
On 14 November, Avera Health, a US healthcare provider, launched its new Careflight service in South Dakota, cutting the ribbon at its new Avera Careflight hanger at Pierre Regional Airport.
On 14 November, Avera Health, a US healthcare provider, launched its new Careflight service in South Dakota, cutting the ribbon at its new Avera Careflight hanger at Pierre Regional Airport.
“Having Careflight based in Pierre serves residents in central South Dakota with faster access to the right level of care for their illness or injury,” said Mikel Holland, MD, Chief Medical Officer and President of Avera St Mary’s Hospital in Pierre.
The new base will operate a PC-12 fixed-wing aircraft, adding to the fixed-wing plane and helicopter based in Sioux Falls and helicopter in Aberdeen that Avera Careflight already operates in the area. The new hanger is 13,000-square feet in total, including sleeping quarters for crew, training space, a meeting room, commons area and storage space. Three members of staff – including a nurse, a paramedic and a pilot – will be stationed at the hanger at all times and will be ready to respond to a mission within 15 minutes. Avera Careflight expects the service to make a call-out a day.
“Careflight was started over 30 years ago based on Avera’s belief that no matter where patients experience critical injuries or illness throughout our footprint, they deserve the same access to critical care,” said Jared Friedman, MD, Clinical Vice-President of Avera’s Emergency Medicine Service Line. “Time is of the essence in case of serious trauma, heart attack or stroke.”