EagleMed critical care air medical transport company has earned an ARGUS Platinum Rating, the highest and most prestigious ARGUS safety rating, demonstrating EagleMed’s passionate and ongoing commitment to safety. EagleMed is the largest air medical transport company to achieve the ARGUS Platinum Rating.

To award a Platinum Rating, aviation services company ARGUS International Inc. conducts comprehensive research on a company’s fleet operations. It compiles historical safety records, performs aircraft and pilot background checks, and administers an on-site safety audit to determine whether an operator meets or exceeds the ARGUS Platinum standard.

Rigorous Standards

The Platinum Rating is awarded when an operator meets all rating requirements and within the preceding 24 months has passed an ARGUS audit to its rigorous standards. It is awarded only to those air charter operators who have demonstrated successful implementation of a viable Safety Management System and industry best safety practices relative to their operations and maintenance.

“This latest achievement is the result of our unrelenting focus on safety and the Just Culture we have established here at EagleMed,” said President Larry Bugg. “Our leadership and employees continually promote an environment where every team member contributes to the success and improvement of our Safety Management System.”

Bugg added, “We are all particularly pleased with the safety leadership provided by our Director of Environmental Health and Safety Lance Hofmann. As a senior safety professional, he has been instrumental in implementing safety enhancements across the entire spectrum of our diverse operations.”

Industry Recognition

ARGUS Rated charter operator ratings are the most sought after third-party validations for the largest and most sophisticated buyers of charter in the world. ARGUS rated charter operators have flown millions of safe, secure and comfortable flights. Only one other smaller air medical provider has earned the Platinum Rating.

EagleMed is now part of an exclusive group of charter operators with the ARGUS Platinum Rating. ARGUS CEO Joe Moeggenberg added, “The use of on-demand aircraft for urgent medical transportation is on the rise, and we anticipate this to be an industry growth segment for years to come. I was very impressed to see a recognized industry leader, such as EagleMed, so committed to the development of a robust safety management system, which is the core of the ARGUS Platinum standard. They should be very proud of this achievement.”

ARGUS’ audit is a thorough and in-depth examination of operator policies and procedures compared against a constantly evolving set of industry best practices. EagleMed focused intensely on building and refining the company’s entire operation.

Safety Focus

EagleMed is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services (CAMTS), which is the gold standard for patient care and safety across the operational spectrum of air medical transport services. EagleMed is one of only two Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 135 charter certificate holders in the FAA Central Region to reach the Safety Management System (SMS) Level 3 distinction.

EagleMed’s senior aviation, maintenance, and safety leadership has a combined total of more than 150 years of aviation operational experience. Recognized as a leader in the industry, the organization and its employees received the 2013 Chairman’s Award and the 2010 President’s Award for Leadership and Safety from the Association of Air Medical Services. EagleMed also received the 2011 Safety Award from the Helicopter Association International, Best Practice in Just Culture from CAMTS; and the 2012 Pilot of the Year Award from the National EMS Pilots Association.

EagleMed leverages technology through its web-based Learning Management System and IS-BAO registered Baldwin SMSlite™ system to deliver regulatory, aircraft-specific, air medical resource management, SMS, risk management, just culture, threat and error management, OSHA safety compliance training and safety report data tracking and analysis. EagleMed maintains a technologically advanced Communications Center with satellite tracking/communications for 24/7 oversight and medical direction provided by a cadre of emergency physicians and highly trained communication staff that are certified emergency medical technicians.