New AirCare base coming to Davenport; expands critical care access in area
Residents of the Quad Cities have better access to critical care with the opening of a new helicopter base for the University of Iowa Health Care and Air Methods in Davenport. The new base is expected to open sometime this fall and will be a hub for the physicians, flight nurses, pilots and other professionals who staff UI Health Care's AirCare emergency services .
AirCare provides emergency helicopter and specialty ambulance services to quickly transfer multi-system trauma victims, neonates, pediatric patients and patients with time-sensitive or complex medical conditions. All flights are operated by Air Methods.
"If you or a loved one are involved in a life-threatening accident or medical emergency, seconds matter," said Andrew Nugent, MD, MHA, FACEP, chair and departmental executive officer for the Department of Emergency Medicine at UI Health Care. "AirCare's new helicopter base in Davenport means people living in the Quad Cities will now have the latest medical transport technology right in their backyard. Our teams' expertise means patients receive swift and specialized care during transport, significantly improving chances of recovery and survival."
"With industry-leading clinicians, life-saving blood, and state-of-the-art medical equipment on board every flight, Air Methods is grateful for the opportunity to provide the best care in the air to the Quad Cities and beyond," said Gregg Hardy, director of regional sales for Air Methods. "We know the difference minutes make in a medical emergency, and we are committed to getting people to the right level of care, as quickly and safely as possible, while providing critical interventions on the way."
The new base will be AirCare's fourth base serving eastern Iowa. The other helicopter bases are in Iowa City, Waterloo and Dubuque. A base in the Quad Cities area will improve AirCare's emergency response time to existing locations in the region while expanding care to several new counties.
"The opening of a fourth AirCare base is a milestone in our mission to extend life-saving care to high-risk patients facing time-sensitive and complex medical needs," said Nugent. "We hope that the Quad Cities region is as excited for access to this patient care service as we are. This base means residents can expect more timely emergency medical intervention in times of need."
Location details are still being finalized, but the base is expected to be operational within weeks.
The AirCare emergency helicopter service at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center made its first flight in 1979. It was the first hospital-based emergency air medical program in Iowa and one of the first 15 programs in the U.S.
