Northwest MedStar Expands to Full-time Base in Moses Lake

SPOKANE, Wash., July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest MedStar, the region's critical emergency care transport service, has expanded its Moses Lake day-base operations to a full-time helicopter base, providing additional coverage for critically-ill and injured patients in the north central Washington region.

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"The North Central region has been a long-time, loyal supporter of Northwest MedStar," said Eveline Bisson, program director of Northwest MedStar. "With our expanded services, we are excited to continue our work with the hospitals and EMS agencies to provide emergency air transport to the region's patients."

Located approximately nine miles north of Moses Lake, the full-time base is home to a round-the-clock flight crew that consists of a registered nurse, registered respiratory therapist, pilot and mechanic. The crew is available for on-scene accident responses and for transports between hospitals.

"The 'golden hour' can be the difference between life and death for many critical patients needing medical air transport," said Dr. Terry Murphy, medical director for Samaritan Emergency Department. "Having Northwest MedStar based in Moses Lake means increased access to critical care transport and decreased response times for our patients."

For the last two summers, Northwest MedStar has operated a day base in collaboration with Grant County Fire District 5. The crew living quarters are currently on site with the permanent hangar to be constructed later this year to house the helicopter.  

"As our region's population continues to grow, so does the potential for medical accidents requiring emergency air transport," stated Leonard Johnson, Grant County Fire District 5 Battalion Chief. "We are pleased that Northwest MedStar expanded its presence to serve our communities."

Positioning a helicopter in Moses Lake will provide more immediate access to air transport services for north central Washington while still maintaining high-level coverage throughout eastern and central Washington and northern Idaho with Northwest MedStar's bases in Spokane and the Tri-Cities.  

Northwest MedStar, a Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) accredited critical care transport program, provides high-quality care and transport to over 3,500 patients each year and is committed to serving the people who live, work and play in the Inland Northwest region. All flights are conducted by, and operational control over all aircraft is exercised solely by Metro Aviation, Inc. Northwest MedStar also offers a membership program that shields people from emergency air transport costs not covered by health insurance. For more information about Northwest MedStar or the membership program, visit www.nwmedstar.org.

Northwest MedStar is a service of Inland Northwest Health Services (INHS). INHS, a non-profit corporation based in Spokane, Washington, providing collaboration in health care services on behalf of the community and its member organizations Empire Health Foundation and Providence Health Care. Other INHS companies include St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute, Northwest TeleHealth, Information Resource Management, Center of Occupational Health & Education (COHE), Community Health Education & Resources (CHER) and others. For more information, visit www.inhs.org.

SOURCE Northwest MedStar