Classic Air Medical flight crew members gather for a photo Tuesday morning behind Los Alamos Medical Center, from left, Los Alamos Base Manager and Flight Paramedic Robert Cook, Pilot Robert Allen, Flight Paramedic Nikki Arana and Flight Nurses Ellen Verburg, Keith Lepsch and Shelly Gale. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
Pilot Robert Allen landing the Classic Air Medical helicopter Tuesday morning behind Los Alamos Medical Center. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com
Classic Air Medical announced today the expansion of its operations in Northern New Mexico. On May 1, 2023, Classic is adding a second Bell 407 GXi helicopter, which like the helicopter based at Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC), will be staffed with highly experienced pilots and expertly trained critical care flight nurses and medics, a spokesperson for Classic said.
The expansion is in response to the significant growth in the region and to the needs of the communities Classic Air already serves. The original Bell 407 GXi helicopter will remain based at LAMC and the new helicopter will be based at Los Alamos County Airport.
LAMC CEO Tracie Stratton explained that when hearing the helicopter take off from LAMC, people often assume it is transporting a patient to another hospital. In fact, the vast majority of the time the flight crew is actually heading to a rural community where someone needs critical medical attention, she said.
“We are very blessed to have these types of services available to the people of Northern New Mexico … Classic Air provides our surrounding rural communities with quick access to critical care when they need it … not every rural community is so fortunate,” Stratton said. “We have a really good working partnership with Classic and collaborate very well with them on various initiatives. We are pleased they are expanding their operation.”
Classic also has developed a strong working relationship with the Los Alamos Fire Department.
“Los Alamos is so fortunate to have Classic Air located in our community,” Fire Chief Troy Hughes said. “They are so generous with their services and are really a part of our community. They train our command staff to safely approach and exit their helicopters and have assisted us on multiple searches for lost citizens. I am elated that they will be adding a second airship to Los Alamos.”
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the new base with its new helicopter will be available to transport patients to and from hospitals, to respond to scene calls, and to aid in search and rescue in the region, as well as other states when needed.
“We are excited to open our new base in Northern New Mexico,” Classic Air Medical CEO Tony Henderson said. “This new base will allow us to provide critical care air medical services to more patients in the communities. We are so proud of the exceptional quality of our staff to continually achieve such high standards. We strive every day to cultivate a family atmosphere and could not be more proud of our team for being part of the Classic family.”
The helicopter, equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment, will be staffed by a team of experienced flight nurses and paramedics.
“We are proud to be a part of the Northern New Mexico community,” Classic Chief Administrative Officer Wade Patten said. “We are committed to providing the highest quality care to our patients and their families. Very few patients are transferred from Los Alamos Medical Center, 90% of our flights are from the rest of Northern New Mexico. We are confident that our new base and new helicopter will allow us to provide even better care to the entire region.”
Background
Headquartered in North Salt Lake, Utah, Classic has served as a medical air ambulance for nearly 35 years. In 1988 in response to the need for air medical evacuation services in the Lake Powell area, Classic Helicopters, a helicopter tour company, established Classic Air Medical. The company’s desire to serve in this capacity arose after the National Park Service had an increased need for assistance from the original tour company. Today, Classic Air Medical holds true to its roots of high standards and traditions in excellence while being a community and family-focused company.
In 2021, Intermountain Health acquired Classic Air Medical. This acquisition created the nation’s largest non-profit air medical organization by combining Classic Air Medical and Intermountain Life Flight. Intermountain Health is one of the largest non-profit healthcare systems in the United States with more than 60,000 employees.
Classic Air Medical is Fully CAMTS Accredited
In 2022, the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services (CAMTS) again awarded accreditation to Classic Air Medical. CAMTS is an organization made up of non-profit organizations dedicated to improving the quality and safety of medical transport services.
