PERRY, Ga. — Standing in an empty field next to Perry Hospital, Houston Healthcare acting CEO Charles Briscoe addressed a crowd of Houston County dignitaries.
"We celebrate and announce the groundbreaking for a helipad base operation between Houston Healthcare and Air Evac," he said.
The helicopter company Air Evac already operates several other air bases in Georgia, company leaders say. The closest currently is in Americus.
But the company says this new helipad at Perry Hospital, when finished, will provide Houston and surrounding counties with even quicker access to medical care.
Houston Healthcare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dan Stewart says that response time can make all the difference in an emergency.
"For those that have been around patients who have had strokes, they may survive the stroke but then they're left with a lot of damage," said Dr. Stewart.
The quick response provided by a medical evacuation, or medevac, flight is "not only life-saving, it's quality-of-life-saving," he said.
Nurse Amy Aldridge, who flies with Air Evac, said that's what first responders are thinking when a call comes in.
"Just getting (patients) to the hospital or to their definitive care faster to save their life, that's what goes through our head," she said.
According to Aldridge, when they're called into action her team and equipment are ready to tackle serious challenges.
They have a defibrillator that "can restart your heart" and a ventilator "if you need to be intubated, this is a machine that breathes for you," said Aldridge. "It's just a smaller, compact version of what you have in an ICU or an ER."
Both hospital and Air Evac leaders stressed the facility is not just for Houston County residents.
One Air Evac official said their main area of operation would be Houston County and all bordering counties but he added the helicopter could easily fly further if needed.
Dr. Stewart added that the helicopter will be used to transport patients in life threatening situations not just to Perry Hospital, but also to other hospitals throughout Georgia depending on the patient's medical needs.
The new facility is expected to cost about $250,000 and open some time in April.
It will house a staff of more than 10 full-time employees including nurses, paramedics, and pilots.