Marquette General introduces air ambulance service

Marquette General Hospital is partnering with Valley Med Flight, Inc. to offer a new air ambulance service.

The helicopter will be able to assist emergency responders and law enforcement by responding to automobile accidents and other emergency scenes. It will also provide helipad-to-helipad patient transportation.

“We now have the capabilities of responding to the majority of patient transportation needs in the UP. Two bases, one helicopter and one fixed wing, gives us flexibility and the opportunity for backup if the rotor is unavailable because of weather,” explained Jake Keller, Valley Med Flight’s Service Director.

MGH will not subsidize the cost of the helicopter, but will instead serve as a Valley Med emergency transport affiliate location. The air ambulance will offer 24/7 coverage for U.P. residents.

Jason Doney, director of the Marquette General Trauma Center, said, “With this new mode of transportation, trauma patients throughout the Upper Peninsula will now be able to have primary and tertiary care at our Level II Trauma Center sooner, which will not only save lives, but all trauma patients will have better outcomes because of it.”

The helicopter will be stationed in Escanaba. Valley Med also operates a fixed-wing air medical base in Iron Mountain.