Flight For Life Colorado, Children's Hospital Colorado Unveil Helicopter Dedicated To Serving Neonatal And Pediatric Patients

The new aircraft, an Airbus H130 T2, has more interior space than other helicopters, providing a better platform for an incubator and other equipment essential to newborn transport. It will be based in metro Denver and supplied by Air Methods Corp., provider of FFLC's current helicopter fleet, along with pilots, mechanics and supporting services. It will be dedicated for the exclusive use of the Flight For Life team based at Children's Colorado and provide transportation to children within its 120-mile service area. The helicopter is expected to take flight in early 2017.

"Flight For Life Colorado pioneered the hospital-based critical air transport industry at St. Anthony Hospital in 1972, and we have worked closely with Children's Colorado since 1997," said Kathleen Mayer, director, Flight For Life Colorado. "To work with Children's Colorado to expand and strengthen our partnership and commitment to the community to deliver exceptional care during transport is most gratifying to all of us at Flight For Life Colorado."

"The new helicopter, the first of its kind for Children's Colorado and our seven-state region, is designed to support the special care required for neonates and children. Children transported by specially trained teams, such as those at Children's Colorado / Flight For Life Colorado, have improved outcomes and fewer complications," said Joe Darmofal, director of flight team, outreach and education at Children's Colorado. "Meeting the needs of our families and communities was a big part of our decision to select this larger aircraft, which can not only handle Colorado's high altitudes and hot summers, but is also quieter and more fuel efficient."

In addition to the new helicopter, FFLC will provide pediatric advanced life support/basic life support ambulance services, and will transport an estimated 4,000 pediatric patients annually among Children's Colorado Network of Care facilities in the Denver metro area.

About Centura Health
Centura Health connects individuals, families and neighborhoods across Colorado and western Kansas with more than 6,000 physicians and 21,000 of the best hearts and minds in health care. Through our 17 hospitals, two senior living communities, health neighborhoods, physician practices and clinics, home care and hospice services, and Flight For Life® Colorado, we are making the region's best health care accessible and affordable in every community we serve. We believe you can inspire the people you care about to live healthier lives by encouraging them to do the little things that can make a big difference. We're Centura Health, and we're here for your health. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit www.centura.org.

About Children's Hospital Colorado
Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) has defined and delivered pediatric health care excellence for more than 100 years. Founded in 1908, Children's Colorado is a leading pediatric network entirely devoted to the health and well-being of children. Continually acknowledged as one of the nation's outstanding pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and ranked on its Best Children's Hospitals 2016-17 Honor Roll, Children's Colorado is known for both its nationally and internationally recognized medical, research, education and advocacy programs, as well as comprehensive everyday care for kids throughout Colorado and surrounding states. Children's Colorado is the winner of the 2015 American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize, and is a 2013-2016 Most Wired hospital according to Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. Children's Colorado also is recognized for excellence in nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Centers and has been designated a Magnet® hospital since 2005. The hospital's family-centered, collaborative approach combines the nation's top pediatric doctors, nurses and researchers to pioneer new approaches to pediatric medicine. With urgent, emergency and specialty care locations throughout Metro Denver and Southern Colorado, including its campus on the Anschutz Medical Campus, Children's Colorado provides a full spectrum of pediatric specialties. For more information, visit www.childrenscolorado.org and connect with Children's Colorado on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Children's Hospital Colorado complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
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Contacts:
Natalie Goldstein
Children's Hospital Colorado
Media relations manager
720-777-3970 (phone), 303-890-8314 (pager)
[email protected]

Eric Hubler
Centura Health
Media relations specialist
303-673-8167 (desk), 303-550-5014 (cell)
[email protected]          

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161026/433112

SOURCE Children’s Hospital Colorado

Related Links

http://www.childrenscolorado.org