MUSC Medical Center, located in Charleston, S.C., has finalized an agreement with Med-Trans Corp. for them to become their new aviation partner for their regional helicopter ambulance service.  Terms were reached after an exhaustive selection process looking at significant factors such as aviation safety, complete customization of the program and excellent customer service.

The region can rest assured knowing that MEDUCARE will continue as a community asset, rapidly transporting critically ill and injured patients who need urgent acute care. During this transition, it is paramount that aero medical operations remain seamless and that outstanding patient care continues to be provided. To this end, the MEDUCARE Consolidated Communications Center remains the point of contact for all EMS partner medical needs. (800-423-1330)

The MEDUCARE adult flight team is comprised of four experienced pilots, mechanics and eight full-time medical personnel, including four flight nurses who are RNs with emergency/critical care experience and four critical care paramedics with emergency/critical care experience.  The MEDUCARE Pediatric and Neonatal team is comprised of 13 full-time medical personnel, including eight pediatric flight nurses and five pediatric flight respiratory therapists. Their extensive knowledge includes the emergent stabilization of critical pediatric and neonatal patients.  The MUSC specialty team will be dedicated and based with the aircraft.

While familiar faces and highly skilled clinical care remains consistent, the MEDUCARE program will further enhance its excellent safety record with a factory new EC 135 aircraft, Night Vision Goggle (NVG) technology for the entire crew, and state-of-the-art aviation safety aids through the partnership with Med-Trans Corp., which officially begins July 1^, 2011.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with MUSC Medical Center MEDUCARE and to be a part of their continued dedication of serving critical patients in need of air medical transport. MEDUCARE will continue on as a regional asset and industry leader providing an indispensible service,” stated Fred Buttrell, President/CEO of Med-Trans Corp.

“Since we first launched the MEDUCARE service 24 years ago, we have had the privilege of serving patients in scores of communities throughout South Carolina,” said MEDUCARE Manager Carl Kennedy.  “When an emergency calls for a patient to be brought to MUSC, it is reassuring to know that we have highly trained responders rapidly heading to the scene in a state-of-the-art aircraft.  MUSC is excited to begin this new relationship with Med-Trans, a proven leader in the industry.”

MEDUCARE’s brand new EC 135 is a technologically advanced helicopter featuring a wide, unobstructed cabin with a Fenestron® tail rotor and bearing less main rotor for excellent performance, range and payload capacity – along with low-noise operation and multi-mission capability.   Oversized sliding side doors and rear clamshell doors enable fast loading and unloading of patients and equipment.

About Med-Trans:

Med-Trans Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading provider of air ambulance programs in selected locations throughout the United States, focused on establishing partnerships with leading hospital systems, medical centers and EMS agencies to provide customized air medical programs through specialized delivery formats, including alternative delivery models, community based models or traditional hospital-based models. The company’s extensive fleet delivers teams of highly trained medical and flight professionals to patients requiring emergency medical care and transports the patient to the appropriate medical facility.  www.med-trans.net

About MUSC Medical Center:

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 11,000 employees, including 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.7 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children’s Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.