Air Ambulance operator Life Link III is operating a helicopter from Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar for a six-month trial starting this week. The helicopter and crew will be stationed at the hospital during daylight hours three days a week — Monday, Tuesday and Friday.  At the end of this period an assessment will be made as to whether it is worth extending it for more days per week, more months or even a permanent arrangement.

Life Link III, whose headquarters are in Minneapolis, already has medical helicopters based nearby in Alexandria and Hutchinson, but it can take 20 minutes for one of these regional helicopters to arrive in Willmar, hence the push to have a third base.

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com