North Memorial Health Bolsters Air Care Program, Adds Two Airbus H135 Helicopters to Fleet
North Memorial Health is partnering with Airbus for the first time to welcome two new H135 helicopters to its Air Care program by 2023.
“Adding these helicopters to our fleet is the latest step in our long-term commitment to create the safest air medical program possible,” said Scott Sampey, vice president and chief of ambulance services for North Memorial Health. “We are excited about what the addition of this modern technology means in terms of improved safety and advanced patient care for our patients, communities and flight crews.”
Air Care operates 24/7 out of seven bases and covers territory in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and North and South Dakota. Air Care is part of the North Memorial Health system, which started as a single hospital in 1954 and has grown into a network of 26 specialty centers with 350+ care providers and more than 6,000 team members.
“We could not be prouder to support the critical work of teams like North Memorial Health’s Air Care program,” said Cyndi Carter, air medical segment manager for Airbus Helicopters, Inc. “It’s our honor to welcome them to the Airbus family, and we look forward to helping them introduce the proven and reliable H135 to the communities they serve.”
The H135 is the market leader in emergency medical services (EMS) worldwide and can be fitted with a wide range of EMS configurations, providing direct access and ample room for patient care. The H135 comes with the lowest operating and maintenance costs of any twin-engine helicopter and is also one of the quietest helicopters in its class. Recent evolutions to the proven H135 include Airbus’ Helionix avionics suite and an alternate gross weight to further increases the useful load by up to 265 lbs.
Airbus Helicopters is the leading provider of helicopters to the air medical transport industry, providing some 55% of the 2,600 EMS helicopters flying in the world today and more than half of all new air medical helicopters sold in the last decade in the U.S.
About North Memorial Health
At North Memorial Health, we are on a mission to change healthcare. We’re delivering unmatched customer service and empowering our patients throughout the Twin Cities to achieve their best health. North Memorial Health provides access to high-quality, low-cost care throughout the Twin Cities through its medical transportation services and two hospitals – North Memorial Health Hospital and Maple Grove Hospital. North Memorial Health Clinics which include primary care, specialty care and hospice are part of a joint venture with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota that is transforming the healthcare experience for consumers. Across the North Memorial Health system, 900+ doctors and 6,000+ team members are dedicated to delivering a more connected experience for our patients.