OSF HealthCare to Base Medical Air Ambulance in Galesburg
Repositioning will allow more timely response for patients
OSF HealthCare is pleased to announce that beginning April 20, 2017, OSF Life Flight will begin the daily relocation of a Peoria-based helicopter to OSF St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg, Illinois. This repositioning will occur weather permitting, during daytime hours.
The 24-hour medical air ambulance logs more than 2,000 flights annually with four American Eurocopter EC 145 helicopters. Regarded as one of the top models available for air medical ambulance use, they can transport up to two patients and four crew members. The OSF aviation team includes 15 pilots and dozens of flight nurses, flight paramedics, flight communication specialists, mechanics, and other support personnel.
“The west central repositioning will allow OSF HealthCare to provide a more timely response to patients as approximately 80% of all patients transported by our Peoria based helicopter to our sister hospitals, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and Children's Hospital of Illinois, are transferred from the west central region of our service area, which includes Galesburg, Monmouth, Kewanee, and the Quad Cities,” explained Kathy Devine, Vice President of OSF Aviation.
“It’s important to ensure that our communities have the lifesaving access they need in the quickest manner, and this relocation to the Galesburg area only enhances the care provided by OSF St. Mary Mission Partners on a daily basis,” said Roxanna Crosser, President, OSF St. Mary Medical Center.
“This move positions OSF Life Flight in the very heart of the many communities that we serve, thereby reducing the amount of time that it takes us to get to our patients needing access,” added Dr. Sergio Morales, Medical Director of Emergency Services at OSF St. Mary and OSF Holy Family Medical Centers.
OSF Life Flight supports the Mission of the Sisters of The Third Order of St. Francis by providing state-of-the-art compassionate care in the safest manner possible, while being mindful of the financial impact to patients by providing cost effective helicopter transport services.