Denver Health Trauma Center Takes to the Air with North Colorado Med Evac

DENVER, Feb. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Denver Health and North Colorado Med Evac (a Med Trans Corp air medical program) are pleased to announce a contractual preferred provider agreement for air-medical transport and evacuation. This is the first time in the regional trauma center's 150+ year history that Denver Health has signed a preferred provider for air transport.

As the Rocky Mountain Region's only Adult Level I and Pediatric Level II Trauma Center, Denver Health began a rigorous process in 2012 to identify the partner of choice to serve its trauma patients with air medical and evacuation transport.

Denver Health saw a strong need to offer an air service, but felt a more fiscally responsible approach would be to partner with an existing service rather than adding to Colorado's saturated medical helicopter marketplace.

"Colorado has more than enough medical rotor wing assets for its population," said Dr. Gregory J. "Jerry" Jurkovich, Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.  "We are choosing the more efficient and responsible option and partnering with a top-notch air-medical and evacuation organization to help serve the transport needs of our patients."

North Colorado Med Evac was carefully selected due to its long history of outstanding adult and pediatric patient care, commitment to quality, process improvement and service excellence. 

"North Colorado Med Evac (previously AirLife of Greeley) is honored to have been considered and then selected by Denver Health Medical Center to become their aeromedical transport preferred provider," stated Daniel Beckle RN, NCME program manager.  "Since 1982, we have had very positive and interactive professional relationships to assure the best possible outcome for our patients."

"Denver Health cares for more than 2,300 of the Rocky Mountain region's most critically injured adult and pediatric patients per year, " said Stephanie Haley-Andrews, Trauma Program Manager. "We identified the need to partner with an aeromedical program to transport a large number of these patients, and North Colorado Med Evac met our stringent requirements for a preferred provider relationship."

North Colorado Med Evac and Denver Health entered this historic partnership on January 30, 2014.

About North Colorado Med Evac

With aircraft based in Greeley, CO, Erie, CO and Akron, CO, North Colorado Med Evac provides 24-hour emergency care for area hospitals in more than 50 counties covering more than 90,000 square miles, across Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. The program began in 1982, as Air Life Greeley. In 2008, Banner Health and Med Trans Corporation partnered to form North Colorado Med Evac.  The North Colorado Med Evac helicopters are licensed as mobile intensive care units and are equipped with extensive life support equipment essential to providing care to patients in life-threatening and emergency conditions. North Colorado Med Evac's dedicated team of highly specialized flight nurses, paramedics and pilots are prepared to meet needs of the most critically ill or injured patient. 

Denver Health is the Rocky Mountain Region's Level I academic trauma center, and the safety net hospital for the Denver area. The Denver Health system, which integrates acute and emergency care with public and community health, includes the Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center, Denver's 911 emergency medical response system, Denver Health Paramedic Division, eight family health centers, 14 school-based health centers, the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, NurseLine, Denver CARES, Denver Public Health, the Denver Health Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Center for Medical Response to Terrorism, Mass Casualties and Epidemics.

Denver Health Contact: Julie Lonborg, 303-602-4970 (24 hour: 303-520-9591)
Med Evac Contact: Daniel Beckle, RN 970-350-6959

SOURCE Denver Health; North Colorado Med Evac