NEW BRAUNFELS, TEXAS, Jan. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The AirLift Texas team was overjoyed to be joined on Tuesday by local first responders, hospital partners, the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce and Joyce Yannuzzi, District Director for Texas State Senator Donna Campbell, M.D., in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of their new fixed wing base—AirLift 10.
The more than 60 guests in attendance had the opportunity to tour the aircraft, meet the crew members and hear from guest speakers, including Yannuzzi who spoke on behalf of Senator Campbell.
“As you know, Senator Campbell is also an emergency room physician, as well as a state senator, so having this kind of service coming into New Braunfels is right up her alley,” said Yannuzzi. “I know she’ll have patients that will benefit greatly from having AirLift Texas in this area, so on her behalf and on behalf of her office, welcome to New Braunfels. We’re very happy to have you here.”
AirLift 10, located at 1654 Entrance Drive in New Braunfels, began 12-hour operations last month to allow the pilots to familiarize themselves with the terrain as part of Air Methods’ high standards for safety. The base, however, will be transitioning to 24/7 service by the end of the month.
Centrally located in Texas, this air medical asset adds to the current AirLift rotor wing ecosystem in Waco and Weslaco and supports sister base AirLIFE in Uvalde. Because it’s a fixed wing aircraft, the AirLift 10 team can serve patients needing to travel further distances for definitive care. Likewise, it can travel in weather conditions where helicopters may not, bringing critical care closer to those in need.
“Even with 12-hour operations in the last month, we’ve already seen how this asset has proven to be a lifeline for patients needing to travel across the state for cancer treatments or other types of specialty care,” said David Lopez, area manager/account executive for AirLift Texas and AirLIFE in Uvalde. “We’ve been able to transport patients from Brownsville to Houston and from San Antonio to Dallas, and everywhere else in between. It is our honor to serve not only the local communities but also patients across Texas and beyond.”
AirLift 10, as well as the other rotor wing programs in Texas, are part of Air Methods, the leading air medical service provider in the U.S. The highly trained flight nurses and paramedics are equipped to transport pediatric, high-risk obstetrics, cardiac, and other patients with a wide variety of critical care needs. They also carry blood that can be administered in-flight for patients suffering significant blood loss and are at risk for hemorrhagic shock, which causes the body’s organs to fail and can lead to death.
Air Methods is committed to providing air medical services to all members of the communities they serve and are in-network with most major health insurance providers for emergency air medical services. Additionally, their patient advocacy program works with all patients, regardless of insurance, to ensure affordability.
For photos of the event, click here.
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About Air Methods
AirLift Texas is part of Air Methods (airmethods.com), the nation’s leading air medical service delivering lifesaving care to more than 100,000 people every year. With over 40 years of air medical experience, Air Methods is the preferred partner for hospitals and one of the largest community-based providers of air medical services. Air Methods’ fleet of owned, leased, or maintained aircraft features approximately 400 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Air Methods Ascend is the company’s clinical education program, allowing critical care nurses and paramedics best-in-class training opportunities using high-fidelity mannequins, virtual reality, and cadaver labs.
