This week Novant Health announced it would be taking to the sky. The health care system’s first helicopter will be based at the Novant Health Rowan Medical Center in Salisbury.
Dr. Andrew Mueller says having the ability to airlift patients in critical conditions will help the health care system provide better care, especially in rural areas.
"Even as fast as ground transport can be, in some cases it’s not going to be fast enough to prevent death or significant injury in some cases," Muller said. "This gives us the ability to transport patents from outlying facilities as well as to arrive on scene at accidents or other events where something has occurred."
Previously, Novant has partnered with other health systems that have air transport systems to receive patients.
The Novant Health Med Flight will serve communities including Charlotte and Winston-Salem. The organization estimates the helicopter will transport 300 to 400 people in its first year of service.
Carolina’s Healthcare System has long had a fleet of aircraft including several helicopters.
