News release
Newton-based LifeTeam, a critical care air transport company, has announced plans to begin operations of a new air medical transport base in Colby. LifeTeam will provide a rotor-wing to transport critically ill or injured patients to tertiary care. LifeTeam’s highly trained medical and flight crews safely transport patients with a medical or surgical emergency that may need advanced care such as provided by a trauma center, a cardiac cath lab, or a stroke team.
LifeTeam’s focus is to work cooperatively with EMS agencies and area hospitals to enhance and expedite patient care in rural communities when needed. Over the past 13 years, the experienced and dedicated LifeTeam crew members have provided tens of thousands of patients rapid access to a higher level of care around the clock in the safest, most efficient, and most caring way possible. A physician-driven company, LifeTeam ensures clinical excellence with an on-line medical director involved in each transport.
“From its inception, LifeTeam was designed to serve as a healthcare provider, utilizing air and ground vehicles in its practice of transport medicine. This patient focus is present in every aspect of safely transporting patients to specialty care and we look forward to bringing additional resources to the region,” states Martin Sellberg, M.D., CEO and Medical Director.
A unique aspect of LifeTeam is the Company’s intense focus on the entire process of patient transport, beginning well before the patient leaves a facility. “Our flight service is a very different model from most of the flight services across the country,” explains Missi Knott, Chief Operating Officer. “The owners of our company are both emergency medicine physicians and pilots, which give them a unique understanding of every aspect of the mission. We see ourselves first and foremost as a medical service. We do whatever we can to help the patient and to put the patient first.”
The Bell 407 Longranger Helicopter will be based at the Colby hospital helipad with the crew housed nearby and on “ready alert” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This will be the second Bell 407 added to the LifeTeam western Kansas tier. In addition to the rotor-wing that will be based in Colby, LifeTeam has a system of back up resources including a fixed wing aircraft 15 minutes away, and additional rotor wing and all weather King Airs throughout the western third of Kansas. LifeTeam plans to begin operations of the Colby Bell 407 early spring 2017.
In addition to participating with statewide providers of health insurance including Blue Cross BlueShield, LifeTeam offers a membership program, which provides prepaid protection against the cost of a LifeTeam air transport that may exceed any insurance or medical benefits. For members, the company waives all out-of-pocket costs for the transport. Patients with current memberships from other providers will also be covered and should contact Courtney Bachrodt at (316) 281-8718 to be added to the LifeTeam Membership Program at no additional cost. Members are covered in all LifeTeam service areas. Visit www.lifeteam.us/membership.php for more information.
LifeTeam is a complete medical transport system, which includes fixed wing, rotor wing, ground ambulances, state-of-the art communication center, in-house maintenance facility and patient billing division. In addition to the new Colby Base, LifeTeam operates emergency transport aircraft from Dodge City, Emporia, Garden City, Hutchinson, and Liberal, Kansas, and McCook and Grand Island, Nebraska as well as ground transport vehicles in Wichita and Newton, KS; as well as Denver, Colorado, Austin, Texas, and Hilo, Honolulu, and Maui Hawaii in patient care partnerships.
For more information, visit www.lifeteam.us or www.cmciks.com or call (316) 281-8740.