Air Methods Corporation , the largest air medical transportation company in the world, announced today that it has entered into a preferred provider agreement (PPA) with Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation (CHS) to provide air medical transport services to CHS-affiliated hospitals. Operations are expected to start in the fourth quarter 2011.

As part of the PPA, Air Methods and CHS will jointly develop air medical transport request protocols for transports originating at CHS-affiliated facilities. Air Methods will establish a centralized national call center in Tennessee to receive and facilitate air medical transport requests from CHS-affiliated hospitals.

Aaron Todd, CEO of Air Methods stated, “We are very pleased to have reached this agreement and excited to have an opportunity to work with a major network of hospitals to provide this industry leading concept of patient safety, quality and care. This was an important decision for the management team of Community Health Systems, driven by their clear desire to support their affiliated hospitals with greater access to prompt, professional, safe air transports. Air Methods is honored to be their partner of choice for this national preferred provider agreement.”

Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation is a subsidiary of Community Health Systems, Inc. . Community Health Systems, Inc. is one of the largest publicly-traded hospital companies in the United States and a leading operator of general acute-care hospitals in non-urban and mid-size markets throughout the country. Through its subsidiaries, the company currently owns, leases or operates 132 hospitals in 29 states with an aggregate of approximately 19,800 beds.

Air Methods Corporation ( www.airmethods.com ) is a leader in emergency aeromedical transportation and medical services. The Hospital Based Services Division is the largest provider of air medical transport services for hospitals. The Community Based Services Division is one of the largest community-based providers of air medical services. The Products Division specializes in the design and manufacture of aeromedical and aerospace technology. Air Methods’ fleet of owned, leased or maintained aircraft features over 400 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.