HealthNet to Add Helicopter to Central WV
June 16, 2008

(Buckhannon) – HealthNet Aeromedical Services is pleased to announce that it is expanding its medical helicopter service, in collaboration with West Virginia University Hospitals, to more comprehensively cover central West Virginia.

Beginning June 16, the air medical company is placing a helicopter at the Buckhannon- Upshur Regional Airport in Buckhannon, West Virginia.  The aircraft will be referred to as HealthNet VI.  This new helicopter brings to six the total number of operational bases located throughout West Virginia and Ohio.  The fleet’s other aircraft are located in Morgantown, Charleston, Huntington, and Bluefield within West Virginia and a base in Portsmouth, Ohio, operated in cooperation with MedFlight of Ohio.

“We are excited for the people in Central West Virginia because when it comes to medical care, every minute counts,” said Chip Sovick, President and CEO, HealthNet. “This means quicker access to critical care health services for the citizens living in such counties as Lewis, Upshur, Randolph, and Tucker.”

Currently a HealthNet helicopter may require up to 30 minutes of flight time to reach area accident scenes or rural hospitals.  The new helicopter will be closer to patients throughout Upshur County and the surrounding region and will shorten transport times to large trauma and specialty care centers. “Sixty to 70 percent of our flights are inter-hospital transfers.  For the remaining flights our teams respond directly to the scene of an accident,” Sovick said.

HealthNet anticipates hiring nine people through its partner West Virginia University Hospitals, including registered nurses and critical care paramedics, to staff the helicopter’s operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  An additional six aviation staff members will be provided through an agreement with Air Methods Corporation housed at the new location.

Request for helicopter transport service for inter-facility transfers – as well as emergency requests from EMS, fire and police agencies – will continue to be handled through the medical command center at WVU Hospitals in Morgantown.

HealthNet was established in 1986 and at the time was the nation's only statewide emergency aeromedical service.  Patients in need of immediate helicopter transport for
high-tech, lifesaving treatment are flown to WVU Hospitals in Morgantown, CAMC in Charleston, Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, or other regional health care facilities.  HealthNet has completed more than 50,000 accident-free missions in its 20 plus years of operation and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems.  HealthNet is committed to providing high quality care to patients in a compassionate manner.  Safety of flight and exceptional patient care HealthNet’s top priorities.

For additional background information on HealthNet Aeromedical Services, log on to www.healthnetaeromedical.org.

For more information, contact:
George P. “Chip” Sovick, III
President and CEO
HealthNet Aeromedical Services
(304) 552-2479 cell