EagleMed Receives Reputable ARGUS Platinum Rating

Wichita, Kan., Sept.18, 2014 –EagleMed critical care air medical transport company has earned an ARGUS Platinum Rating, the highest and most prestigious ARGUS safety rating, demonstrating EagleMed’s passionate and ongoing commitment to safety. EagleMed is the largest air medical transport company to achieve the ARGUS Platinum Rating.

To award a Platinum Rating, aviation services company ARGUS International Inc. conducts comprehensive research on a company’s fleet operations. It compiles historical safety records, performs aircraft and pilot background checks, and administers an on-site safety audit to determine whether an operator meets or exceeds the ARGUS Platinum standard.

 Rigorous Standards

The Platinum Rating is awarded when an operator meets all rating requirements and within the preceding 24 months has passed an ARGUS audit to its rigorous standards. It is awarded only to those air charter operators who have demonstrated successful implementation of a viable Safety Management System and industry best safety practices relative to their operations and maintenance.

“This latest achievement is the result of our unrelenting focus on safety and the Just Culture we have established here at EagleMed,” said President Larry Bugg. “Our leadership and employees continually promote an environment where every team member contributes to the success and improvement of our Safety Management System.”

Bugg added, “We are all particularly pleased with the safety leadership provided by our Director of Environmental Health and Safety Lance Hofmann. As a senior safety professional, he has been instrumental in implementing safety enhancements across the entire spectrum of our diverse operations.”

Industry Recognition

ARGUS Rated charter operator ratings are the most sought after third-party validations for the largest and most sophisticated buyers of charter in the world. ARGUS rated charter operators have flown millions of safe, secure and comfortable flights. Only one other smaller air medical provider has earned the Platinum Rating.

EagleMed is now part of an exclusive group of charter operators with the ARGUS Platinum Rating. ARGUS CEO Joe Moeggenberg added, “The use of on-demand aircraft for urgent medical transportation is on the rise, and we anticipate this to be an industry growth segment for years to come. I was very impressed to see a recognized industry leader, such as EagleMed, so committed to the development of a robust safety management system, which is the core of the ARGUS Platinum standard. They should be very proud of this achievement.”

ARGUS’ audit is a thorough and in-depth examination of operator policies and procedures compared against a constantly evolving set of industry best practices. EagleMed focused intensely on building and refining the company’s entire operation. 

Safety Focus

EagleMed is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services (CAMTS), which is the gold standard for patient care and safety across the operational spectrum of air medical transport services. EagleMed is one of only two Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 135 charter certificate holders in the FAA Central Region to reach the Safety Management System (SMS) Level 3 distinction.

EagleMed’s senior aviation, maintenance, and safety leadership has a combined total of more than 150 years of aviation operational experience. Recognized as a leader in the industry, the organization and its employees received the 2013 Chairman’s Award and the 2010 President’s Award for Leadership and Safety from the Association of Air Medical Services. EagleMed also received the 2011 Safety Award from the Helicopter Association International, Best Practice in Just Culture from CAMTS; and the 2012 Pilot of the Year Award from the National EMS Pilots Association. 

EagleMed leverages technology through its web-based Learning Management System and IS-BAO registered Baldwin SMSlite™ system to deliver regulatory, aircraft-specific, air medical resource management, SMS, risk management, just culture, threat and error management, OSHA safety compliance training and safety report data tracking and analysis. EagleMed maintains a technologically advanced Communications Center with satellite tracking/communications for 24/7 oversight and medical direction provided by a cadre of emergency physicians and highly trained communication staff that are certified emergency medical technicians. 

 About ARGUS International Inc.

ARGUS International, Inc. (ARGUS) is a specialized aviation services company whose mission is to provide the aviation marketplace with data and information necessary to make informed decisions and manage risk. ARGUS provides world-class aviation software and business management solutions, including AVMOSYS business management software, TRAQPak, CHEQ, and ARMOR SMS. ARGUS Charter operator ratings are the most recognized and requested independent source of overall operator quality. TRAQPak provides industry leading market intelligence data and research services, as well as expert aviation consulting.

ARGUS subsidiaries include ARGUS PROS, the leading provider of on-site safety audits and PRISM, a worldwide leader in Safety Management System (SMS) and Certification services. Founded in 1995, ARGUS is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and actively engaged around the globe.

About EagleMed LLC

EagleMed LLC, headquartered in Wichita, Kan., is a privately owned and operated critical care air medical and ground transport service. A subsidiary of Air Medical Group Holdings, Inc., EagleMed has provided safe, world-class patient care to patients and communities in the Midwest for more than 30 years. EagleMed has more than 450 highly trained employees and operates an extensive fleet of 14 medically equipped AirBus AS350 B2/B3 helicopters, 20 Beechcraft King Air fixed-wing aircraft, and six ground ambulances in 12 States. For more info go to flyeaglemed.com.

 About AirMedCare

EagleMed is a membership-supported air ambulance service that is part of the AirMedCare Network. AirMedCare is America’s largest air medical transport membership network, providing emergency access to the highest levels of care for its 1.6 million subscribers. The AirMedCare Network combines the membership programs of four leading air ambulance operators: EagleMed, REACH, Air Evac Lifeteam and Med-Trans Corporation. For more information about memberships, visit joineaglemed.com.