LIFE FORCE adds sixth helicopter in North Carolina
The new LIFE FORCE H135, operated by Med-Trans Corporation, will be based in Andrews, North Carolina, US.
Erlanger Health System officials announced on 26 June that LIFE FORCE plans to add a sixth helicopter to its fleet of air ambulances in August. The new LIFE FORCE H135, operated by Med-Trans Corporation, will be based in Andrews, North Carolina, US, at the Western Carolina Regional Airport outside of Murphy. Erlanger Health System also announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Murphy Medical Center.
Kevin M. Spiegel, president and CEO of the Erlanger Health System, said: “We are extremely pleased that LIFE FORCE is now expanding ‘critical care in the air’ services even further into the western North Carolina region. Placement of this helicopter is the result of several years of solid relationship building with surrounding hospitals and the support of state and local elected officials and enables thousands of residents to quicker access to regional facilities like Erlanger Health System when they need it most.”
LIFE FORCE said the additional aircraft is expected to begin accepting patient flights on 15 August. The letter of intent is in response to an advanced relationship that is being discussed between Erlanger Health System and Murphy Medical Center. The due diligence process required by the letter of intent should take both organisations approximately 90 days to complete with the goal of reaching a definitive agreement on the future relationship by September-October timeframe, said Erlanger.
Robert M. Brooks, executive vice-president and COO for Erlanger Health System, commented: “Erlanger and Murphy have signed an exclusive letter of intent to explore how our organisations can partner closer together to enhance and grow the existing medical care already being offered by Murphy Medical Center. The letter of intent is the first step in the process of exploring what the best structure could be for both Murphy Medical Center and Erlanger Health System.”
The addition of the new LIFE FORCE helicopter brings the LIFE FORCE fleet to six total helicopters – four dual-engine aircraft equipped for instrument flight rules (IFR) and two single-engine aircraft that operate under visual flight rules. In mountainous regions, said LIFE FORCE, aircraft not equipped with IFR can frequently get fogged in at their bases and are unable to answer patient transport requests. The service said that with an IFR aircraft now in that region, patients will have quicker access to higher level of care with increased safety during periods where outside visual references are obscured.
Erlanger’s LIFE FORCE provides the clinical team for medical operations and Med Trans Corporation provides pilots and mechanics for the aeromedical service, along with the aircraft, while Med-Trans equips the LIFE FORCE fleet with Airbus H135 and Bell 407 helicopters.