TOLEDO, Ohio — Mercy Health is combining its existing Life Flight, LACP and LifeStar medical transport services into one combined entity, the company announced on Wednesday.
The Mercy Health – Life Flight Network is slated to start its engines on Feb. 1, 2021.
Mercy Health said the move is to improve the efficiency of its medical transportation network while adding increased flexibility and availability of medical transportation to all the communities it serves.
“As the first air ambulance service established in the region and with decades of experience providing ground medical transportation, Mercy Health has been a consistent leader in providing safe, high quality and expedient transportation for patients throughout the region,” said Bob Baxter, president of Mercy Health – Toledo. “By bringing these two respected services together as one company, Mercy Health – Life Flight Network can become even more efficient and effective at caring for our patients and the communities that we serve.”
Once operational, Mercy Health – Life Flight Network will consist of five multi-engine helicopters, five mobile ICU units as well as 28 ambulances and 12 ambulettes. The initial service area will cover more than 11,500 square miles throughout Northwest Ohio, West Central Ohio, and Southwest Michigan.
The Mercy Health – Life Flight program was the first air ambulance service to be established in the region and is among the first to be established in the country.
Since taking flight in 1979, Life Flight has transported more than 100,000 critically ill and injured people and has provided trauma scene response and critical care transports in the region, Mercy Health said.
“In emergency medical situations, time is of critical importance. By consolidating air and ground medical transportation, Mercy Health – Life Flight Network can respond even more efficiently while maintaining the high standard of quality care and service that our patients and community associate with the Life Flight name,” said Dr. Kevin Casey, chief clinical officer, Mercy Health – Toledo.
