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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Utahns facing a health crisis will now be served by a new AirMed base in Payson. Mountain View Hospital will be home to the medical transport program's newest helicopter base, which was formerly located at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem. Operations began Dec. 1.
"We are pleased to have a 24/7 helicopter service through this partnership with AirMed on our campus," said Kevin Johnson, chief executive officer at Mountain View Hospital, in a statement. "Having AirMed here in south Utah County will allow for more timely access to care for patients needing transport services in surrounding communities."
The goal is to have better access to southern regions of the state, said Ryann Rasmussen, a University of Utah Health Care spokeswoman. Providing access to the service for a larger geographic region may help serve more patients, she said.
"AirMed is constantly reevaluating how to best provide its services," she said.
AirMed transports approximately 2,500 individuals each year with emergencies ranging from stroke to spinal cord injury. They are flown to the hospital that is most appropriate for their medical needs. The program's main base is at the University of Utah, which is a Level I trauma center and a regional burn center.
"By implementing a permanent presence in southern Utah County, the goal is to better connect patients in Utah's more rural communities to the specialized, life-saving critical care available at University of Utah Health Care," said David Entwistle, chief executive officer for University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics, in a statement.
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