Wyoming Medical Center to Offer Air Ambulance
Nov. 12--CHEYENNE n Cheyenne Regional Medical Center will offer air ambulance service here, likely starting in February.
AirLife Denver, based in Aurora, Colo., will provide the service. It serves eight states and has operated for 28 years.
It's not uncommon to see a medical helicopter landing or taking off from the helipad atop CRMC's roof on 23rd Street. That's because other helicopter services transport patients to and from CRMC. They land or take off about 10 times a month, officials said.
However, this will be the first time the local hospital will have its own medical ambulance.
CRMC has contracted with HCA-HealthOne to provide the service at an annual cost of $500,000. The money will come from hospital operations.
A Bell 407 helicopter will be based in Cheyenne full time, housed at Sky Harbor, the fixed-base operator at Cheyenne Regional Airport.
Dr. John Lucas, the chief executive officer at CRMC, said noise for hospital neighbors should be minimal, given that the helicopter will be based at the airport. "We want to be very responsible" to neighbors, Lucas said.
The helicopter will reduce response times for patients in rural areas, he said. It also will improve the ability to get patients to appropriate caregivers.
"I'm excited about being able to improve care," Lucas said Friday. The helicopter's speed of about 135 mph will get patients from Cheyenne to Denver in about half the time of a land ambulance.
"We think it will increase the level of care to people in the state" and save lives, Lucas said.
The hospital's service will join other air ambulances located at Greeley, Colo.; Scottsbluff, Neb.; Denver and Casper.
Some neighbors near CRMC criticized plans for the helicopter operation, citing noise and their safety concerns.
A public meeting to inform hospital neighbors about the service will start at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the solarium on the ninth floor of the hospital's patient tower, 214 E. 23rd St.
Neighbors will see flight plans around the area and how the ambulance officials will be sensitive to noise from the helicopter.
Copyright 2011 - Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne
