Culpeper Star-Exponent
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — Headquartered in Loudoun County with a base at Culpeper Regional Airport, PHI Air Medical is celebrating 35 years of life-saving service in the sky.
As an air ambulance service that uses medevac helicopters, the company provides aerial emergency medical transport and treatment to local communities across Virginia.
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“For the last 35 years, our team of highly trained nurses, clinical members, mechanics, and pilots across Virginia has played a vital role in providing the highest level of specialized medical care to residents in their most vulnerable moments,” said PHI Program Director Christopher Shaffer in a statement.
The pioneering Inova Medical AirCare Program started back in 1991 as a single Bell 412 helicopter program at Fairfax Hospital and has, for the last 23 years, operated as part of PHI Air Medical operations, according to a release.
PHI rapidly expanded its emergency air services to communities and now serves the majority of Virginia, with bases located in Manassas (AirCare 1), Fredericksburg (AirCare 2), Leesburg (AirCare 3), Front Royal (AirCare 4), Harrisonburg (AirCare 5), and Culpeper (AirCare 6), established in 2021 at the local airport.
“We are immensely grateful for the trust placed in us by healthcare partners, first responders, and the community at large,” Christopher said.
The 35th anniversary of the Virginia bases is a testament to PHI Air Medical’s unwavering dedication to excellence in aeromedical services, adopting the latest technologies and medical advancements, including the newly formed Trauma Program at Fairfax Hospital and EMS scene responses in Virginia and surrounding jurisdictions, according to the release.
PHI is dedicated to delivering evidence-based care during transport and collaborates with local hospitals to elevate patient care standards. Clinical staff across all Virginia bases are trained to handle specialty equipment, including intra-aortic balloon pumps, fetal heart tone monitors, Hi-Flow oxygen, Impella, and Veletri. All flights carry whole blood on board. See phiairmedical.com.
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