Kettering Health Network and MedFlight are expanding their critical air transportation partnership by adding a permanent medical helicopter and base at the Preble County Medical Center in Eaton. With this addition, known as MedFlight 8, Kettering Health Network will have three helicopters that routinely serve the network and an additional six helicopters across the state.
In July Kettering Health Network partnered with Buckeye Ambulance to form Kettering Mobile Care, one of the largest hospital-based transport services consisting of 26 vehicles. The guiding principle has been to enhance patient access to the network’s hospitals and outpatient facilities. The addition of a MedFlight helicopter in southwest Ohio allows Kettering Health Network to provide comprehensive air and ground coverage for residents in the network’s 16-county service area.
Kettering Health Network plans to construct the base, which will include a hangar and crew living quarters. The base will be staffed by pilots, mechanics, and critical care nurses and paramedics. The construction timetable and cost have not yet been determined. During construction, a helicopter will be based at the Preble County Medical Center during the day starting within the next 90 days.
MedFlight expects the establishment of the base to create 20 new jobs and anticipates hiring personnel from the region.
“We are pleased to expand our partnership with MedFlight to serve the people of southwest Ohio and the surrounding counties,” says Fred Manchur, chief executive officer of Kettering Health Network. “Our partnership with MedFlight and Buckeye Ambulance improves our ability to provide life-saving service for people with life-threatening injuries or illness who need advanced care when minutes matter.”
“MedFlight is honored to partner with Kettering Health Network to provide customer-focused medical transportation solutions,” says Tom Allenstein, president of MedFlight. “This community-based resource will reduce response times for critical patients in need, who will now receive faster critical care.”
Kettering Health Network’s partnership with MedFlight began in 2013, when MedFlight placed a medical helicopter base nearby in Fayette County, serving Kettering Health Network and other partnering health systems and communities to the east of the greater Dayton area, including Fayette and Clinton counties.
MedFlight provides critical care transportation of patients between Kettering Health Network hospitals and other hospitals as necessary. It also responds to accident scenes and transports patients to the most appropriate hospital for critical care.
