Midwest AeroCare has taken delivery of a medically-configured Bell 407 helicopter. The aircraft will serve southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri and northeast Oklahoma from its base in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Located at Atkinson Municipal airport in Pittsburg, the Midwest AeroCare base is a preferred critical care air medical transport provider for Ascension Via Christi, a large healthcare provider in central Kansas. Midwest AeroCare also operates an air medical transport base in Chanute. The proximity of each of these locations allows for additional air transport coverage for Crawford and Neosho Counties and the surrounding regions.

“We are pleased to be able to incorporate this additional resource into the area's healthcare assets,” says Courtney Harrison, Midwest AeroCare's Pittsburg base medical manager. “This reflects an upgrade in airborne capabilities and is a positive development for patient care in our area.”

The Bell 407 helicopter replaces a Eurocopter AS350. The new aircraft has a 300 nm range, 140 mph cruise speed and is equipped with safety enhancements such as night vision capability, XM colour weather radar and autopilot systems. Additionally, Skytrac satellite tracking software allows Med-Trans' communication centre to monitor aircraft position continuously.

Midwest AeroCare and its predecessor companies have been based in Pittsburg for more than 12 years. The operation is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS), which is dedicated to improving the quality of patient care and safety of the transport environment.