MedCenter Air, the regional flight service for critically ill or injured patients operated by Carolinas HealthCare System, has moved one of its helicopter units to Concord Regional Airport.

The move, from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, is part of a planned effort to disperse helicopters to provide faster service for the transport of injured and sick patients, and a collaborative partnership with Cabarrus County Emergency Medical Services. Two other helicopters operated by MedCenter Air are stationed at the airport in Hickory near the Burke-Caldwell County line, and at the airport in Rock Hill, S.C.

The EC-135 helicopter, which can transport up to two patients on stretchers along with a three-person crew, moved to the Concord airport this month with flight crews on duty 24 hours a day. The operation is housed in a hangar shared with the Concord Fire Department.

“Being at an airport location gives the transport team the option of moving a patient either by helicopter or by fixed wing aircraft,” said Jason Schwebach, Assistant Vice President at MedCenter Air.

“From Concord, we can better serve the referring facilities and referring counties that are sending patients to the Level 3 Trauma Center at CMC-NorthEast or to the Level 1 Trauma Center at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte,” Schwebach said. “The door-to-balloon time in a cardiac catheterization lab for heart attack patients at CMC-NorthEast averages 58 minutes, well below the national average of 90 minutes. The response time is significantly reduced by our being located there. Plus, CMC-NorthEast is part of the Carolinas Stroke Network, which gives patients 24/7 access to stroke treatment experts,” he said. Each helicopter covers an area in a radius of about 150 miles.

“Having air transport closer to this area is another component of the trauma center services provided at CMC-NorthEast for patients who are critically ill or injured,” said Phyllis Wingate-Jones, CMC-NorthEast President. “And having specially-trained flight crews means that treatment can begin as soon as the patient is on board.”

With helicopters stationed throughout the region, flight crews consisting of a pilot, a flight nurse and a flight respiratory therapist can be where they’re needed within minutes. MedCenter Air also transports patients to other facilities, such as the N.C. Burn Center at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

MedCenter Air also operates three fixed-wing aircraft for long-distance patient transport and has special neonatal and pediatric teams when a child needs transport.

Nurses and respiratory therapists who care for patients on MedCenter Air flights are required to have at least three years of critical care or emergency department experience at a major hospital. Flight crews and equipment are certified by the State of North Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services.

For more information, visit www.medcenterair.com.