Sacred Heart Health System is flying a new air-ambulance helicopter that is larger, faster and has a higher patient-weight capacity. The new member of the AIRHeart team, the Bell 407 helicopter, arrived on Aug. 26 and is based in Crestview.

The new bird is 20 to 30mph faster than the helicopter it replaces and holds more fuel, enabling it to make longer transport flights, if needed. Currently, AIRHeart travels the region of Northwest Florida, South Alabama and Southwest Georgia. In addition, the previous helicopter had a very limited patient-weight capacity of 250 lbs., depending on crew weight; the new one can handle patient weight up to 475 lbs., depending on crew weight. Another advantage of the new helicopter is that it is equipped with floatation devices, allowing it to land on water. Cost of the new helicopter, including interior patient-care equipment, is $6 million.

With this new air ambulance, Sacred Heart’s service will still be the only service in the area specially equipped and staffed to provide fetal monitoring and neonatal transports, as well as transports of patients requiring cardiac balloon pumps, according to Ron Mosley, Sacred Heart’s director of Transport Services.

The old helicopter will return to the Air Methods, Inc. fleet as AIRHeart is a service in partnership with Air Methods, Inc.  AIRHeart employs eight pilots, 27 medical professionals including registered nurses and paramedics, and two mechanics. A second AIRHeart helicopter is based in Marianna.

Launched on Nov. 1, 2001, AIRHeart conducts an average of 70 patient transports per month. Sixty percent of transports result from “scene calls,” while 40 percent are inter-facility transports. In 2005, the AIRHeart team spent four days conducting emergency rescues of patients and staff from Tulane University Medical Center’s parking garage during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.