February 14, 2022 – Classic Air Medical and Intermountain Healthcare are opening a new helicopter medical transport base on the Intermountain Cassia Regional Hospital campus in Burley, Idaho, to enhance medical transport services for area residents throughout Mini-Cassia, Idaho.
Classic Air Medical will begin providing this critical care service in the summer of 2022, with a team of three caregivers on base, including a pilot, a critical care flight medic, and a critical care flight nurse. A mechanic will also be on campus.
The flight team will be on duty around the clock to coordinate care seamlessly with Cassia Regional’s ground ambulance team as well as the emergency room staff to enhance critical care when needed.
Intermountain Healthcare acquired Classic Air Medical in 2021 to enhance the health system’s ability to serve rural communities throughout the Intermountain West. Classic Air Medical also operates Portneuf Air Rescue in Pocatello.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given Intermountain Healthcare caregivers additional experience in helping patients remain in their hometown hospitals for care through use of their expansive telehealth services.
As caregivers at Intermountain Cassia Regional Hospital and its clinics use telehealth, they may determine that some high-acuity patients need more specialized care. That’s where having a Classic Air Medical base on campus will benefit patients, enabling easier and faster air transport for those patients to the nearest medical facilities that are best equipped to care for them.