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July 15--HARLINGEN -- A multi-state medical helicopter ambulance company will begin service from McAllen this fall to cover the entire Rio Grande Valley.
The announcement comes after Harlingen-based Valley AirCare said last week that it will cease operations Oct. 31.
Air Evac Lifeteam is the largest independently owned air medical provider in the United States, the company said in a statement.
Air Methods Corp. is the largest company, but is associated with local hospitals, Air Evac Lifeteam spokeswoman Julie Heavrin said.
The Air Evac Lifeteam service will be based at McAllen Medical Center, but as an independent air transport service, patients will be taken to the closest appropriate hospital, Heavrin said.
A McAllen Medical Center administrator referred to a connection with his facility in a statement in Air Evac Lifetime's announcement.
"We are looking forward to our partnership with Air Evac Lifeteam," McAllen Medical Center CEO Joe Riley said. "Air ambulances are vital when speed and accessibility could make a difference between life and death.
"As the designated Advance Level III Trauma Center for the Upper Vallley, it becomes even more critical to our patients when minutes matter most," Riley said. "McAllen Medical Center looks forward to the added technology and skill needed to keep a patient stable before reaching the hospital in order to provide superior health care and treatment."
Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen CEO Bill Adams said, "Valley Baptist supports providers who can offer quality services to our patients and faster transport to our emergency department in critical situations."
The company will offer annual memberships to residents of the Rio Grande Valley at a cost of $50 for an individual, $55 for a couple and $60 for a household of three or more, Air Evac Lifeteam said in a statement.
Although some major medical insurance policies may pay part of the cost of emergency helicopter transport to the closest hospital, some policies won't, Heavrin said.
"That's where a membership comes in," Heavrin said.
Membership is a form of insurance that would cover the cost of being transported by helicopter in life-threatening situations, Heavrin said. Otherwise, a patient could face the possibility of being billed for the cost, she said.
Depending on the injury or illness involved and distance transported, the cost of a trip in a medical helicopter could run as high as $15,000 to $20,000, she said.
At the 103 bases the company operates, there are now 950,000 members in 15 states, she said.
"We're excited to offer this service to the residents of South Texas," said Air Evac Lifeteam president and CEO Seth Myers.
"We've been talking with officials with South Texas Health Systems and EMS agencies in the area for several months about locating a base in the region to work with them to meet the health care needs of their communities," Myers said. "They have welcomed us to the area with open arms. We are happy to make this vision a reality."
South Texas Emergency Care Foundation Inc., operators of Valley AirCare, announced last week the agency will shut down its service now based at STEC headquarters in Harlingen on Oct. 31 when its contract with Metro Aviation expires.
Metro Aviation flies and maintains a helicopter owned by Valley AirCare. STEC issued a statement last week that it was searching for a replacement company to operate its helicopter, but would cease operations if it does not enter into an agreement with another aviation company.
Valley AirCare began operation Feb. 1, 1995, but costs for operating the service have risen sharply while use of the helicopter has dropped in half during the past year, STEC spokesman Rene Perez said.
Perez and STEC Executive Director Bill Aston were not available for comment on Thursday.
Air Evac Lifeteam would be backed up by a base it already operates in Laredo, the company said in a statement.
