Scottsbluff, NE – Regional West Air Link announces a new partnership with Med-Trans Corporation. The partnership becomes effective March 1. Regional West Air Link will retain control of medical direction and staffing and Med-Trans Corporation will assume helicopter operations duties.

New to the program are numerous enhancements and safety features, including night vision capabilities. In March, Regional West Air Link will become the first air medical program in Nebraska to utilize this technology, a feature that adds greatly to the safety of the crew and those on the ground. Med-Trans aircraft are also equipped with additional state-of-the-art safety equipment and features, such as: enhanced vision systems, radar altimeters, GPS navigation, satellite tracking, terrain alert warning system (TAWS) and traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS). “Safety of the pilots and the crews is our first priority; it is always a unanimous decision of the crew to accept a mission after careful consideration of the weather and outside conditions,” says, Laurie Soper, Chief Flight Nurse.

“Air Link staff and crews have worked diligently to form relationships with the communities, both the in-hospital and the pre-hospital staff, whom they serve. Those relationships will continue, and communities can expect to see more of the Air Link crews in their communities,” says Peter Meyer, MD, Air Link Medical Director.

Plans include increased educational opportunities for partner EMS agencies, increased outreach activities with critical access hospitals, and new in 2009 a mentoring program for EMS services that utilize Air Link. “Air Link staff believes strongly in supporting our partner communities, it is a priority for us to bring education to hospitals and services who may be struggling to retain volunteer firemen or EMS providers. Volunteers are busy and travel is expensive so we hope to aid them in receiving quality education whenever possible,” says Tracy Meyer.

Fred Buttrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Med-Trans Corporation, said, “Air Link has done an outstanding job of building hospital relationships and servicing EMS systems and communities throughout their region. We look forward to this new partnership and will continue to build upon their programs success under the hybrid delivery model. We will blend the best capabilities of the hospital and Med-Trans to deliver a top-quality service focused on excellent patient care and flight safety.”

Founded in 1995 and serving an area spanning South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska and Northern Colorado, Air Link will fly their one million mile mark in the summer of 2009.

Regional West Health Services, with over 1,800 employees, provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, we offer care that spans more than 30 medical specialties. Regional West Medical Center, a subsidiary of Regional West Health Services, is accredited by The Joint Commission and is one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state of Nebraska.