By Chad Bowdre
Special to The SUN
Distance, weather and geography in Colorado can sometimes mean the difference between life and death when it comes to health care emergencies.
To help overcome these barriers, Classic Air Medical, a premier air ambulance transport service, is proud to announce it is basing a fixed-wing air ambulance transport service at the Pagosa Springs airport.
The base will be staffed by a team of three: a highly experienced fixed-wing pilot, a critical care flight medic and a critical care flight nurse.
The new service will provide not only hospital-to-hospital transport, but also be able to assist other emergency agencies as well.
Wade Patten, chief administrative officer at Classic Air Medical, said, “We are excited for the opportunity to serve the Pagosa area and be part of the entire community. When the golden hour to reach a trauma or cardiac center is critical, we will be there to assist and transport quickly.”
With their newest airplane stationed in Pagosa, Classic is growing to 14 bases in the Rocky Mountain West and Desert Southwest including three other bases in Colorado — Steamboat Springs, Craig and Glenwood Springs — as well as additional bases in New Mexico (Los Alamos), Utah (Moab and Vernal), Arizona (Page and Ft. Mohave) and Wyoming and Idaho.
Classic Air Medical ensures a highly trained medical crew will be available to the entire region.
With the addition of this new base, Classic Air Medical nearly completes blanket emergency air transport coverage from southern New Mexico across Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming and Idaho.
To celebrate this announcement, Classic Air Medical will be hosting an open house on Aug. 20 from 4 to 6 p.m. — event details will be announced later this month. Community members will be invited to an open house with tours of Classic’s newest airplane and many crew and staff will be on hand to meet and answer questions.
Background
Classic Air Medical has been in service as a medical air ambulance for 31 years, with headquarters in Woods Cross, Utah. Originally a tour company in the 1980s known as Classic Tour Helicopters, Classic Air Medical was established in 1988 in response to the need for air medical evacuation services in the Lake Powell area after the National Park Service saw an increasing need for assistance from the original tour company.
For more information about Classic Air Medical, visit www.ClassicAirMedical.com or call (800) 444-9220.
