Dallas, Texas - Med-Trans Corporation (Med-Trans) and Medical Center Hospital announced today that they have added a second helicopter to its emergency air transport service. The hospital’s flight service now offers two “CareStar” Bell 407 helicopters provided by Med-Trans, outfitted with the latest medical equipment, to service seventeen surrounding communities in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico. MCH is the only hospital in the region with an on-site flight program.

“Since its inaugural launch in June 2003, our CareStar emergency helicopter service has tremendously benefited the Permian Basin,” said William Webster, CEO of Medical Center Hospital. “The Permian Basin is booming and we believe one of the best ways to protect its increasing population is to expand our CareStar service. Medical Center Hospital is pleased to work with its corporate partner Med-Trans, to bring a second CareStar helicopter to serve the region.”

The Bell 407, with a top speed of 160 mph, is one of the most popular Emergency Medical Services (EMS) helicopters in the industry. This swift, reliable helicopter boasts an unsurpassed record of safety and performance. Patients transported in an MCH CareStar helicopter will benefit from the availability of a portable oxygen system, suction system, cardiac monitors, defibrillator with pacing capability, and an auxiliary power converter for in-flight medical procedures.

With on-scene capability, the MCH CareStar Flight Service is able to provide trauma care and rapid transport for critically injured patients. The service will also transport critically ill patients from outlying regional hospitals for advanced care and treatment.
The MCH CareStar Flight Staff (Unit) is comprised of highly skilled registered nurses and paramedics specially trained through our associate company Med-Trans Corporation.

“Pecos County Memorial Hospital is very content with the relationship with Medical Center Hospital,” said Russell Tippen, CEO of Pecos County Memorial Hospital. The second CareStar will increase the level of care for Pecos County and the surrounding area.”

Fred Buttrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Med-Trans Corporation said, “Medical Center Hospital has done a tremendous job building relationships and being instrumental in providing air medical transport to the region. The expansion of critical care to the rural communities and the addition of a second helicopter to the CareStar program is fundamental in keeping up with the service needs of the Permian Basin.”


Med-Trans Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading provider of air ambulance programs in selected locations throughout the United States, focused on establishing partnerships with leading hospital systems, medical centers and EMS agencies to provide customized air medical programs through specialized delivery formats, including alternative delivery models, community based models or traditional hospital-based models. The company’s extensive fleet of helicopters delivers teams of highly trained medical and flight professionals to patients requiring emergency medical care and transports the patient to the appropriate medical facility. The company has grown from four to 24 programs over six years, currently operating in ten states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Med-Trans is a subsidiary of Air Medical Group Holdings, a portfolio company of Brockway Moran & Partners and Meridian Venture Partners.


Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas is the only full-service hospital in Ector County. Serving as the regional referral hospital for the 17 surrounding counties of the Permian Basin, MCH prides itself on providing quality healthcare in a compassionate manner second-to-none.

###

For more information, please contact Anabel Spencer, Executive Director, Communications/Marketing, Medical Center Hospital (432) 640-1249, (432) 640-2349, or see www.mchodessa.com.


Reid Vogel, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Med-Trans Corporation, (701)202-7648 • vogelreid@med-trans.net Or see: www.med-trans.net