It’s the life-saving medical helicopter that has been saving lives since 1985, and its team just received a great honor. The LIFE STAR program, owned and operated by Hartford Hospital, has been selected as a recipient of the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) Program of the Year for 2011.

The Program of the Year award recognizes an emergency medical program, both national and international, that has demonstrated the highest level of patient care, management bravery, quality leadership through visionary and innovative approaches, customer service, safety consciousness, marketing ingenuity, community service and commitment to the medical transport community as a whole. This is the highest recognition an air medical transport program can receive.

Since 1985, LIFE STAR has been saving lives in Connecticut and beyond, making sure patients in critical or emergency care situations get the care they need. LIFE STAR is owned and operated by Hartford Hospital, and has two bases: Norwich and Hartford. LIFE STAR operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, transporting more than 1,200 patients each year.

Judging for the AAMS Program of the Year is based upon how long the program has been in operation, how financially sound the organization is, how long they have been accident free and overall customer-service ratings. AAMS is the professional association for the air medical transport industry and represents over 600 programs and companies internationally.