Life Flight Network announced on June 29 that they will be opening a new base for their medical flight service helicopters in Bozeman, Montana. The new base is intended to be operational by September 1, 2017. It will be based in the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport and will make it easier for residents in the area to access ICU-level care.
Better Medical Flight Service for Southern Montana Residents
Justin Dillingham, Chief Customer Officer for Life Flight Network has stated that by opening the new base residents of southern Montana and northern Wyoming would be able to access high-quality medical care more quickly. This is crucial especially in time-sensitive situations such as heart attacks, traumatic injuries, strokes, etc.
Life Flight Network currently provides their service to Montana residents from bases in Missoula and Butte. The medical flight service also serves Idaho. Each of their helicopters can respond to incidents located more than 150 miles from the base. This makes high-quality medical care and transport more accessible to patients across the state.
With the opening of a new base in Bozeman, Life Flight will be able to further enhance the quality of service they provide. It will be especially beneficial to patients in southern Montana. The ICU-level care provided by Life Flight will be easier to access for communities like Bozeman, Big Sky, Big Timber, Ennis, Livingston, Ruby Valley, West Yellowstone, and White Sulfur Springs.
Details of the Upcoming Base
The new Bozeman base will house a 119Kx ‘Koala’ helicopter, which is particularly capable of flying in high altitude regions like Montana and handling long distances between hospitals. It will also be able to fly two patients at a time.
The new base will also bring development for the Bozeman region. Each base for Life Flight Network creates approximately 15 new jobs while contributing in excess of $1 million to the local economy annually.
