Life Flight Network, the largest not-for-profit air medical transport service in the United States, announced it will open a base at the Portland-Hillsboro Airport in Hillsboro, Oregon on May 20. The base will provide emergency medical air transport to Washington, Columbia, and Yamhill counties and the surrounding Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metropolitan area.
“The crew is capable of being airborne in as little as eight minutes,” said Holly Love, base manager for Life Flight Network. “The $4.5 million dollar medically configured helicopter brings an ICU to the patient’s side, wherever the patient is located. Lives will be saved and outcomes will be improved as a result of this resource.”
Life Flight Network has served the area for nearly four decades from other local area bases. The helicopter stationed in Hillsboro will be an AgustaWestland AW119Kx and can make the trip to Portland in less than 10 minutes.
Tuality Community Hospital, Tuality Forest Grove Hospital, Kaiser Westside Medical Center, and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center will directly benefit from having an emergency medical helicopter just moments away. Other surrounding communities, such as Gaston, Yamhill, Carlton, McMinnville, Sheridan, Willamina, Grand Ronde, Cornelius, Banks, Forest Grove, Vernonia, and Scappoose will also benefit from this air medical resource.
Forest Grove Fire and Rescue’s chief Michael Kinkade recognizes the value of the helicopter in Hillsboro. “We provide emergency medical response to all of western Washington County, ranging from the crest of the Tillamook Mountain, the rural areas of Gaston, and the urban areas of Forest Grove and Cornelius. A Life Flight Network helicopter stationed at the Hillsboro airport will dramatically reduce helicopter response times to the critically ill patients we provide care to, which will help us improve patient outcomes.”
For a nominal fee, Life Flight Network offers membership options. Members incur no out-of-pocket expense if flown for medically necessary emergent conditions.
