AirLife Utah Expands Air Medical Services with New Base in Orem

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Air medical team brings lifesaving emergency care to Utah County and beyond  

Orem, UT, August 11, 2022 – A trusted name in air medical services is ready to answer the call when residents of Utah County and the surrounding area need emergency care. AirLife Utah opened a new base at Timpanogos Regional Hospital today, offering quicker response times for emergent and trauma situations as well as interfacility transports for patients needing to move between hospitals for specialized care.  

The new base in Orem adds to the AirLife Utah program already established in Ogden, UT and is part of Air Methods, the largest provider of air medical services in the United States. The new base is located at 750 W 800 N, Orem, UT 84057. 

AirLife Utah flies an AS350 helicopter able to perform in the high altitude and intense heat of the region. Additionally, it carries blood in flight and offers specialized care for pediatric and high-risk obstetrics patients. 

“The AStar 350 is the workhorse of the air medical industry because it is so reliable,” said Erik Bornemeier, account executive with Air Methods.  

With that reliable aircraft comes a highly skilled crew. All of the clinicians and pilots have years of experience in the field and have received advanced, ongoing training. Several crew members come from the military, in part because of the rigid flight experience requirement AirLife Utah employs, and the pilots come into the program with a minimum of 2,000 hours of flight time.  

As a community-based program, the crew members are local residents with long-standing knowledge of the Orem area. They know the people, the hospitals, and the terrain and are ready to serve the community.  

“Because this area is their home, our flight crews have a vested interest in the health and welfare of their neighbors, friends, and families,” said James Vanotti, flight nurse. “Their knowledge of the area allows them to provide expedited top-tier critical care.” 

They also have working relationships with EMS partners and train together often. 

“By training with our EMS partners, we all get lots of practice which makes us smoother and faster on scene,” said Bornemeier. “We arrive faster and once on scene, we are organized, accurate, and safe, which leads to smoother patient care when every moment counts.” 

Air Methods is committed to providing air medical services to all members of the communities they serve. The average out-of-pocket patient cost per flight is less than $300 and we have in-network agreements with Select Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, and more than 30 additional health insurance companies. Our patient advocacy program works with all patients, regardless of insurance, to ensure affordability.