Commitment to safety and outstanding patient care.
Always ready to respond when it matters most.
Our patient advocates are standing by.
by Air Methods
Air medical services have always been crucial to providing prehospital emergency care to patients in dire need. During this unprecedented pandemic, these transports are even more critical.
Florida is one of many states currently seeing a spike in COVID-19 and patients in rural areas count on air ambulances to get them to the care they need. Transfers between hospitals via air transport is also more important than ever as patients are moved to facilities where there are enough beds and staff.
Air Methods has bases throughout Florida, and is working hard to go in-network with insurance companies in order to take patients out of the billing process. We are incredibly proud to be in-network with Florida Blue, and we see how it has directly benefited our patients by simplifying their billing process and lowering their out-of-pocket costs.
However, there is still work to be done in Florida. A state bill (HB747) puts patients at risk of losing life-saving healthcare resources like air medical services. Dr. Charles Sand, who is an emergency and EMS physician in West Central Florida and the medical director of Air Methods’ AirLife and LifeNet helicopters, recently wrote an appeal directly to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office. In it, he humbly asks that the governor vetoes HB747.
HB747 was pushed through the Legislature unilaterally by insurers who claimed, without any supporting public health data, that air medical services are not that necessary and can easily be trimmed from Florida’s health care system – more importantly, from insurers’ own balance sheets. This simply isn’t true.
Dr. Sand’s op-ed was published in the Orlando Sentinel on June 25. You can read the full article here.
(GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colorado, April 1, 2021) – Air Methods, a leading air medical service, has rebranded its Florida program in the greater Tampa Bay area as AirLife Florida. The local crews and aircraft formerly operated as Bayflite and will continue to serve the region as AirLife Florida with bases in Tampa, North Port and Inverness. This rebranding went into effect on April 1.
AirLife Florida will have the same highly trained and experienced crew flying the same medical helicopters, just with a new logo and paint scheme. The direct dispatch number also remains unchanged: 800-223-4494. Some community partners or transfer centers have alternate dispatch numbers which also continue to directly route callers to the same dispatch center that was used under the previous name. Air Methods has offered air medical services to the area for over 33 years and will continue to do so as AirLife Florida. Crews respond to interfacility transport requests as well as 911 scene calls, flying an EC135 helicopter.
“We are proud to have served this community for over 33 years and remain dedicated to continuing to do so as AirLife Florida,” said Jeff See, senior vice president of customer experience at Air Methods. “AirLife Florida’s lifesaving services and well-trained critical care teams will be here to serve the greater Tampa Bay community and citizens in their time of need.”
Raising the bar for clinical excellence in Florida
AirLife Florida provides essential and lifesaving services throughout the region. During missions, highly trained medical teams care for patients with lifesaving interventions to significantly improve patient outcomes. These interventions include providing advanced trauma care such as blood products administration, advanced airway intervention, cardiac/hemodynamic monitoring, ventilator management and vasoactive medication administration and titration, advanced surgical procedures.
AirLife Florida also has a first-pass intubation success rate over 98 percent, well above industry and Emergency Department average. With the continued consolidation of hospitals and the trend towards centers with specialized heart or neurological care, the clinical support and speed of missions is critical to giving patients the best possible outcomes.
AirLife Florida may have a new name but still provides greatest quality of patient care in the area.
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About Air MethodsAir Methods is the leading air medical service, delivering lifesaving care to more than 70,000 people every year. With nearly 40 years of air medical experience, Air Methods is the preferred partner for hospitals and one of the largest community-based providers of air medical services. United Rotorcraft is the Company’s products division specializing in the design and manufacture of aeromedical and aerospace technology. Air Methods’ fleet of owned, leased or maintained aircraft features more than 450 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
Media Contacts:Doug FlandersDirector of Communications, Air Methods*protected email*
Matt PeraAmendola Communications for Air Methods*protected email*