Sikorsky S-76 C++ is the new flagship air ambulance helicopter
April 10, 2024
Grand Rapids and Traverse City, Michigan, April 8, 2024 – North Flight Aero Med, a joint venture with Corewell HealthTM (formerly Spectrum Health) and Munson Healthcare have added Sikorsky S-76 C++ helicopters to their fleets.
The aircraft will be open to media at the North Flight Aero Med hangar, 1840 Sultz Drive, Traverse City, MI, 49686, on Tuesday, April 9th from 12:45 to 2:45 p.m.
The aircraft is the northern Michigan air ambulance company's new workhorse helicopter, replacing the previous Sikorsky S-76 B helicopter. He operates out of his base in Traverse City with his three aircraft: a King Air B250 airplane, a King Air B200 airplane, and a new Sikorsky helicopter. The joint venture provides emergency medical transportation throughout northern Michigan and neighboring states.
“This new helicopter will allow us to continue serving northern Michigan communities for years to come,” said Tiffany Obetz, director of Corewell Health Aeromed and North Flight Aeromed. ” he said. “Our two organizations’ investment in this critical infrastructure ensures that we can continue our mission to be the leader in providing superior critical care air transportation in Michigan.”
The new Sikorsky S-76 C++ features improved fuel efficiency, state-of-the-art avionics, and certified IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) capabilities. Its clinical capabilities include transporting blood products, specialty pharmaceuticals, high-flow nasal cannulas, cardiac devices, and neonatal transport.
“Munson Healthcare covers more than 11,000 square miles, roughly the size of Delaware and Vermont combined,” said Munson Healthcare Eastern Region Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of System Transfers. says Dr. Aditya Nelavetla. “Continued investments like this are critical to ensuring northern Michigan's most critically ill patients and infants can be transported in a timely manner to Munson Medical Center and other facilities across the state.”
The new helicopter also features a new stretcher system created in collaboration with outside vendors Spectrum Aeromed (Fargo, South Carolina) and Stryker (Kalamazoo, Michigan).
North Flight Aero Med added a King Air B250 to its fleet in March 2023, and Corewell Health Aero Med added a Sikorsky S-76 C++ helicopter to its fleet last May. Aero Med first incorporated the Sikorsky S-76 model into its operations in 1994.
“With a top speed of 280 miles per hour and a range of 300 miles, the S-76 safely and reliably transports hundreds of patients across Michigan each year,” Obetz said.
About North Flight Aero Med
North Flight Aero Med (NFAM) is a partnership between Corewell Health and Munson Healthcare that provides critical care air ambulance service throughout northern Michigan. Aviation services are provided by Spectrum Health Hospitals, which manages all aviation operations and staffs flight crews and mechanics.
About Corewell Health
People are at the heart of everything we do and are the inspiration for our tradition of outstanding performance, innovation, strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Corewell Health is a leading and leading company of more than 65,000 dedicated staff members, including more than 12,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,500 nurses providing care and services in 21 hospitals and 300 hospitals. We are a nonprofit health care system that provides health care and insurance through a team of people. + Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan with outpatient clinics and several post-acute facilities and serving more than 1.3 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining better, more equitable models of health and wellness. For more information, visit corewellhealth.org.
About Manson Healthcare
Recognized by Fortune/Premier Inc. as one of the nation's top 15 health systems, Munson Healthcare is a nonprofit serving more than 500,000 people in northern Michigan. Of the eight hospitals, Cadillac Hospital and Munson Medical Center, a 442-bed regional referral center in Traverse City, have received five-star ratings from the Centers for Medicaid Services. Manson is committed to providing advanced outpatient services and specialized cardiac, oncology, neonatal, orthopedics and neurology care to communities across the region, including Northern Michigan's first and only comprehensive stroke center.
contact:
Tim Hawkins
Media contact point
Office: 616.486.6091
Mobile phone: 616.443.0361
Email: timothy.hawkins@corewellhealth.org
