OSF Life Flight is Expanding to OSF HealthCare’s Eastern Region

OSF HealthCare Life Flight on pad

OSF HealthCare is pleased to announce that OSF Life Flight will be basing a helicopter in the eastern region of its service area to better serve OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, OSF HealthCare Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac and the surrounding communities.

An OSF Life Flight helicopter will be based at Saint James or St. Joseph on a rotating schedule between the hours of 9am and 9pm weather permitting, providing the communities in OSF HealthCare’s Eastern Region faster access to care in certain emergent cases.

“We are in the process of expanding our flight service to better serve the needs of our Mission Partners in the Eastern Region, and we expect our fourth helicopter base to be fully operational within the next several months,” said Karen Arndt, outreach coordinator for OSF Life Flight.

Arndt continued, “It will provide a more timely response in our Eastern Region, enabling patients’ quicker access to definitive care when minutes truly make a difference. OSF Life Flight is proud to be part of these communities we serve, and strive to provide the highest quality compassionate care in the safest manner possible.”

The 24-hour medical air ambulance logs more than 1800 flights annually with their four American Eurocopter EC 145 helicopters, regarded as one of the top models available for air medical ambulance utilization. The OSF Life Flight team includes pilots, flight nurses, flight paramedics, flight communication specialists, mechanics, and other support personnel.