Pact aims to enhance critical care on Olympic Peninsula
Jefferson Healthcare designates Airlift Northwest as preferred provider for medical transport flights.
UW Medicine and Jefferson Healthcare have signed an agreement making Airlift Northwest the preferred provider of medical transport for patients who live in the communities of Washington's Olympic Peninsula.
"We are delighted to collaborate to enhance the accessibility of emergency care to those who need it most,” said Jeff Richey, Airlift Northwest's interim executive director. "Combining the expertise in Jefferson Healthcare’s clinical care and Airlift Northwest’s excellence in air medical transport means providing rapid, high-quality care for those in greatest need."
He described the partnership as the latest development in decades of collaboration between these two organizations.
“Airlift Northwest has a long history of taking great care of our patients and working closely with our providers. The agreement allows for a greater peninsula presence of Airlift Northwest helicopters and flight nurses yet still allows patient choice in selecting a life-flight provider,” said Jefferson Healthcare CEO Mike Glenn.
Airlift Northwest's bases throughout the Puget Sound region overlap operational areas to enable rapid responses. With helicopters based in Arlington, Bellingham, Bremerton, and Olympia, patients can be quickly transported from the scene of accidents or between hospitals in the “golden hour” of emergency medicine – the critically short time window when medical care makes the most difference to a patient’s outcome.
Richey added, “We are committed to serving all the communities of the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound by working closely with first responders and local hospitals to offer the highest standards of care. Working closely with the Jefferson Healthcare and local emergency responders allows us to combine speed and quality to save lives together.”
– Written by Nick Vail
Media contacts:
- (UW Medicine) Susan Gregg - 206.616.6730, sghanson@uw.edu
- (Jefferson Healthcare) Amy Yaley - 360.385.2200 ext 2014, ayaley@jeffersonhealthcare.org
For details about UW Medicine, please visit http://uwmedicine.org/about.