View construction via
Live Webcam

SALINA REGIONAL RESTORES ONSITE AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE

(July 10, 2006) – A successful test flight this morning reopened onsite helicopter access to Salina Regional Health Center, which completed construction of a temporary helipad late last week. Salina Regional’s helipad had been closed since late February as groundwork began for its new six-story patient bed tower.

Since that time patients needing emergency air transportation had been transferred by Saline County EMS to and from the Salina Airport at a landing site there. Eagle Med, which bases a helicopter on site at the airport, noted an immediate benefit that will be realized by patients.

“There’s a tremendous savings of time for the patient when we can land directly at the hospital,” said Jim Glasner, chief pilot at Eagle Med. “When you have to load and unload a patient from an ambulance twice it can almost double the time it takes to get airborne. This minimizes the time patients have to spend out-of-hospital.”

The current helipad location is slightly north of its previous location and closer to the Braddick Building on the hospital’s Santa Fe Campus. Trees had to be removed and trimmed, new lighting put in place and other ground alterations were needed in order regain approval for the landing site from the city of Salina.

Making a temporary onsite helipad operational had been a priority since construction started. Eventually, a permanent helipad will be located on the roof of the new patient bed tower.

“We’ve been working hard to have this service returned to patients since even before construction began,” said Jack Hinnenkamp, Salina Regional’s vice-president of facilities management. “As a regional hospital serving a wide area in north central Kansas we felt it was critical to have a helipad located on hospital grounds.”

Eagle Med recognized the hospital’s efforts.

“We’re very happy with the continued support from Salina Regional Health Center and we were very impressed with the efforts they’ve made to create a safe landing site,” Glasner said. “Our pilots and crews are excited to be able to utilize the new location.”

Testlanding	Unload Test