By Morayo Ogunbayo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — Atlanta’s hospitals provide lifesaving care for Georgians all throughout the state and beyond — in metro Atlanta and across the South. People and their loved ones who have found themselves in emergency situations throughout the region have relied on our hospitals’ critical care.
Grady Health System is no exception and officially launched Grady Air, the hospital’s brand-new medical aircraft, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Fulton County Executive Airport on Wednesday.
“The ability to provide the care that these folks need expeditiously as possible and decreasing the transport time to Grady is what is going to save lives,” said Dr. Ryan Fransman, medical director of Grady Air at Grady Health System, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Developed in partnership with Air Methods, the “mobile intensive care unit” will be staffed entirely with Grady personnel, which includes nurses, paramedics, and critical care specialists.
“This is going to increase time for critical care.”
Pilots from Air Methods, a private helicopter company that provides emergency medical services to over 100,000 clients, will man the craft.
“As a company committed to delivering critical care when and where it’s needed most, we’re proud to partner with Grady on this vital initiative,” Brandon Ryan , vice president of business development at Air Methods, said in a news release.
Overall, Grady is looking forward to increased “access and outreach to patients we initially did not have an arm to extend to,” according to Fransman, as previous transport times were “basically unacceptable.”
“It’s an ICU in the sky,” he said.
In addition to the new aircraft, Grady Memorial Hospital will receive emergency medical aircraft from across the region.
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