The Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s LifeFlight airlift service opened its first operations base in West Tennessee at the Henry County Airport on August 27.
“We are excited to welcome Vanderbilt LifeFlight to Paris,” said Thomas Gee, CEO of the Henry County Medical Center. “LifeFlight has a long history of service to Henry County Medical Center and our community, and having them located within the county will only enhance the ability of our citizens to access timely and quality health care services.”
The LifeFlight helicopter takes only four minutes to fly from the Henry County Airport to the Henry County Medical Center. The helicopter is a twin engine Airbus Helicopter H-135 and can travel at speeds up to 150 mph. A flight from Henry County to Vanderbilt takes 35 minutes, and it requires 23 minutes to reach Jackson.
David Bowman, regional business director for Air Methods, the air carrier provider for the LifeFlight program, said that he and his organization are looking forward to assisting the program in any way possible.
“Air Methods is proud to serve Henry County and its neighboring communities,” said Bowman. “Throughout our OmniAdvantage membership program, the residents of Henry County and surrounding counties will have the security of knowing that their family, including the individual, is covered if transported via an Air Methods’ air ambulance, at no additional transport cost.”
The OmniAdvantage membership plan costs $49 annually. This includes coverage of spouse and any children under the age of 26. A special annual rate of $39 is provided to AAA members and groups of 10 or more.
This particular LifeFlight is the only aircraft that carries lifesaving blood products in Middle and West Tennessee, enabling medical professionals to save more lives.
Henry Co. Medical Center and Vanderbilt Hospital plan to celebrate the grand opening on Tuesday, September 15 at 9:00 a.m.
