(Dallas, TX – June 30th, 2009) Med-Trans Corporation announces a new partnership with Shannon AirMed1 of San Angelo, Texas.  Beginning July 1, Med-Trans will be providing the aviation services for AirMed1 air ambulance service, while Shannon Medical Center will continue to provide the medical direction and clinical care.

Fred Buttrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Med-Trans Corporation, said, “Shannon Medical Center and AirMed1 has done an excellent job building hospital relationships and providing care to patients throughout the region. It is a privilege to partner with Shannon and to provide this indispensible critical care to the vast region that they serve."

Med Trans will supply the program with a new Bell 407 aircraft designed to facilitate optimal patient care.  The partnership provides AirMed1 with additional enhancements and safety features, including night vision capabilities. Shannon AirMed1 is the first air medical program in the region to utilize this technology, a feature that adds greatly to the safety of the crew and those on the ground. Med-Trans aircraft are also equipped with additional state-of-the-art safety equipment and features, such as: radar altimeters, GPS navigation, satellite tracking and communications, and helicopter terrain alert warning system (HTAWS).

“We are excited to have Med Trans join us as a partner in the AirMed1 service,” said Bryan Horner, President and CEO, Shannon Medical Center.  “AirMed1 is very important to Shannon as it allows us to help provide quick access to lifesaving care when time matters most.  This partnership allows us to maintain the long-term sustainability of the program for residents throughout our service area, and it also allows opportunity for it to grow.” 

Shannon AirMed1 staff and crews will continue to work with hospitals and first-responder services throughout the Concho Valley and the goal is to work closely with these agencies with a focus on servicing their needs.

“The new partnership maintains our commitment to safety and providing exceptional care to our patients,” said Heather Tiftickjian, RN, director of Shannon AirMed1.  “Our patients will see a change in the design of the new helicopter, but it will still utilize the same lifesaving equipment and carry our same team of medical professionals.  It will also maintain the Shannon AirMed1 name and green and gold design that has become known across the region.” 

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 has grown from four to 31 programs over the past six years.  Med-Trans is a subsidiary of Air Medical Group Holdings, a portfolio company of Brockway Moran & Partners and Meridian Venture Partners.

Founded in April 1994, Shannon AirMed1 provides 24-hour emergency care for area hospitals in more than 30 counties, or more than 130,000 square miles, across West Texas. Shannon AirMed 1 transports cardiac, trauma, medical, pediatric, and burn patients and has extensive life support equipment essential to providing care for patients in life-threatening or emergency situations.  Transportation via AirMed 1 of critically ill or injured patients can significantly reduce time enroute to a hospital and allow patients to receive definitive care within the "GOLDEN HOUR," the first hour following injury, heart attack or another critical or life threatening condition.  AirMed 1 is one of the only services in West Texas to carry blood on each flight for optimal patient outcomes.  It is a three-time recipient of the Texas Air Medical Service of the Year Award from the Texas Department of State and Health Services in 2002, 2003 and 2007.