LaredoBuzz.Com

Courtesy Stephanie Moody,

 Air Evac Lifeteam, a rural provider of air ambulance services, has expanded its service area in Texas with the opening of a base in Laredo.

The base will be temporarily located at the airport in Laredo at 5003 Maher Drive, Unit B. It will be one of more than 90 bases in Air Evac Lifeteam’s network of air ambulance services. Bases are located in rural communities in 14 states throughout the central United States. The base will provide employment for 12 to 15 local employees and will serve communities within a 70-mile radius.

Air Evac Lifeteam, headquartered in West Plains, Mo., is the largest independently owned air ambulance service in the country. The company’s business philosophy is based on the belief that air ambulances should be placed in areas of greatest need – rural communities that are often hours away from lifesaving trauma care.

“People who live in rural communities are three times as likely to die from a critical injury or illness as their counterparts who live in metropolitan areas – mainly due to the amount of time it takes to reach medical care,” said Air Evac Lifeteam President Seth Myers. “Our goal is to decrease that statistic by giving those who’ve chosen to live in rural America equal access to quality health care.

“The opening of this base is part of an oncoming commitment by Air Evac Lifeteam and the health care community in this region to improve access to trauma care for residents of rural America,” Myers said.

“The people of this region are very fortunate to have access to quality health care services though their local hospitals and EMS providers. Our goal is be an extension of that excellent service by providing rapid transport in critical medical situations,” Myers added. “We commend these local officials for recognizing the benefits this lifesaving resource will be to the patients they serve.”

Program Director Amy Lieck has been with Air Evac Lifeteam since June 2007 and will be overseeing operations at the new base.  She is currently serving as the program director for the bases in Hondo and Carrizo Springs, Texas.

Both hospitals in Laredo are excited to have the service available to their patients. CEO of Doctors Hospital of Laredo Elmo Lopez said, “This is going to be a great thing. The entire community will benefit from the fast service to a tertiary care hospital if needed. Having Air Evac’s service available increases the level of patient care here for our community and it has been a community-wide effort to bring the service to town.

Mayor Raul Salinas added, “This is a service that we welcome to the city and immediate area of Laredo. It is a long overdue service and we welcome Air Evac Lifeteam with open arms.”

“This is a partnership that will help to save lives and support us in providing quality emergency care services,” he added. “We look forward to a long-term relationship with Air Evac Lifeteam and the services they bring to our area.”

Air Evac Lifeteam crews, which include a registered nurse, paramedic and pilot are on call at each base 24 hours a day. They provide on-the-scene medical care, rapid transport to medical facilities and critical care inter-facility transfers. Each helicopter is equipment with state-of-the-art medical equipment and crewmembers are trained in advanced pre-hospital care so medical care can begin at the scene and continue en route to the hospital.

In addition to the medical training the crews have, each helicopter and crew is now equipped and trained with Night Vision Technology. Air Evac Lifeteam is the largest air medical company to complete implementation of this technology.

Safety prompted the company-wide commitment to the goggles. With Air Evac Lifeteam crews spending approximately 30-40 percent of their flight time on evening flights, the company wanted an additional safety tool for helping to spot terrain, obstructions, or a suitable landing zone. The ANVIS-9 goggles raise normal nighttime vision of 20/20 to vision of 20/200.

Air Evac Lifeteam was also one of the first air ambulance services in the country to offer a membership program. Members pay an annual fee and, if they are flown by Air Evac Lifeteam, they do not have to pay for the flight. Memberships are valid in all Air Evac Lifeteam service areas so members are covered while traveling through Air Evac Lifeteam service areas.

Annual memberships are $50 for an individual, $55 for a couple and $60 for a household of three or more.

For more information about Air Evac Lifeteam services or employment opportunities, call 1-800-793-0010 or visit www.lifeteam.net.