News

New Medevac Helicopter Base to Open to in Va.

03/01/2012

March 01--Roanoke-based Carilion Clinic will establish a new medevac helicopter base in April to better serve Danville, Martinsville and Pittsylvania and Henry counties.

A third helicopter will be added to the Carilion Clinic Life-Guard medical air fleet enabling helicopter Life-Guard 10 to focus on the region south of Roanoke, including Danville, from a new base in the Westlake area of Franklin County, according to a news release.

The move will reduce the response time to Danville Regional Medical Center to 15 minutes after lift-off and to Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County to 12 minutes after lift-off.

"We're pleased to be in a position to serve the hospitals and area fire departments and rescue squads, offering faster response times when transport is needed," said Carilion Clinic Vice President for Emergency Services Paul B. Davenport in a statement.

Carilion has provided such services to the region since the start of its air medical program in 1981. The program averages 100 flights per year to the region using both Life-Guard 10 and Life-Guard 11.

"Danville Regional has enjoyed a long working relationship with Carilion Clinic, specifically in the area of neonatal cardiology," said DRMC CEO Eric Deaton in an statement. "The ability of the new medevac service to provide quicker air transport response times and additional access to air transport services will be beneficial to our patients and our community."

Carilion Life-Guard 11 will continue to cover the region southwest of Roanoke and the new helicopter Life-Guard 12 will cover the region northwest of Roanoke.