Sierra Providence Health Network to Offer New State-of-the-Art Med Flight Air Transport Program

El Paso, Texas, April 26, 2011 Sierra Providence Health Network (SPHN) proudly announced this week during a press conference a new partnership with Native Air, an Omni Flight Company by officially launching the Sierra Providence Med Flight Air Medical Transport Program. This is the first of its kind in the region and will expand our reach of service and the delivery of highly specialized care for critically ill and injured adults, children and premature babies in the region.

Sierra Providence Med Flight will serve communities within a 150-mile radius of El Paso.  It will transport patients to any hospital within the Sierra Providence Health Network and to other hospitals in the area if a higher level of service is needed and as deemed by the first responders on scene.  A team consisting of a pilot, flight nurse and flight paramedic will be staffed-ready to respond in minutes from Sierra Medical Center.  It can also include other specialists such as neonatal nurses, pediatric critical care nurses and respiratory therapists, as necessitated, depending on the patient’s condition.

A state-of-the-art twin engine American Eurocopter BK-117 helicopter will be used to provide rapid and safe transport and care for these critical patients.  This helicopter is designed and fully equipped as a flying intensive care unit.   “In minutes, they will be skids off the helipad and en route to save someone’s life,” said Marvin McLellan, the project manager.

“Sierra Providence Health Network is excited to launch one of the first private sector hospital based, air medical program in El Paso and the surrounding region.  I’m honored to announce that it will be based here at our facility, Sierra Medical Center. This will offer air medical services to Southern New Mexico and West Texas communities for patients that need to be transferred to one of our network facilities for higher level hospital care.  Now, physicians and hospitals in these communities will be able to rely on the support of SPHN during times of critical need.  That means a critically ill pediatric patient in Deming, or a fragile neonate in Alamogordo, or an adult stroke patient in Ruidoso, that otherwise doesn’t have access to specialized medical care, will now have immediate access to Sierra Providence Health Network facilities, doctors and staff,” said Edmundo Castaneda, CEO for Sierra Medical Center.

Expanding The Level Of Healthcare In The Community

?              First bedside to bedside helicopter pediatric and neonatal transport system in the region.

?              First High Risk Maternal transport program in the region to provide specialized care for both mom and her unborn baby to include fetal monitoring capabilities, specialized medications and interventions to stabilize life threatening conditions

?              Extends the excellence in care provided by SPHN and Children’s Hospital at Providence to communities within a 150 mile radius of El Paso when speed in access to highly specialized care can make the difference between life and death.

?             Transport program will be an integral component of the Emergency Response System in El Paso County and surround communities in Southern New Mexico and Texas.  Will be able to respond in minutes when summoned by emergency responders and deliver advanced care such as blood, advanced airway management and life support equipment for both children and adults.

?              Program is developed to support our local EMS responders as part of the chain of survival in caring for critically injured and ill patients.

?              The PETT-NETT specialized pediatric and neonate transport team at the Children’s Hospital at Providence will provide highly specialized care and transport for the tiniest of babies and most critically ill or injured children.

“It will raise patient services to greater heights for those in the region,” said John Harris, Sierra Providence Health Network president during yesterday’s press conference.

Joel Hochhalter, Vice President of Business Operations of Omniflight Helicopters, Inc. added, “Omniflight is very excited and proud to have the opportunity to work with Sierra Medical Center and sister hospitals on the development of this new service for the El Paso community.  I applaud Sierra Providence for recognizing and stepping up to offer specialized neonatal and pediatric services along with general medical transport services for the region.  These specialized services are long overdue for the El Paso and surrounding communities of southern New Mexico and west Texas.”