Air Evac EMS, Inc., operating as Air Evac Lifeteam (sometimes known as simply Air Evac), and Texas LifeStar [1](in parts of Central Texas), is an air ambulance company based in West Plains, Missouri.
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Air Evac Lifeteam was founded in 1985 to serve the rural Missouri Ozark area and now focuses on providing services to the medically underserved areas of rural America, often in those rural areas which other air ambulances may not adequately service. Part of the company's funding comes from a membership program, although membership is not required for service.[2]
The Texas-based rotor-wing operations division of Critical Air Medicine was sold to Air Evac Lifeteam on 15 April 2005.[3]
Air Evac Lifeteam acquired Texas LifeStar from Southwest Helicopters, Inc. in September 2006
Air Evac Lifeteam was accredited in 2008 by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, and is the largest medical transport program under one name to achieve this accreditation.[4]
Air Evac Lifeteam acquired Life Air from Life Ambulance, Inc. in February 2011
Air Evac has coverage in 14 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, mainly in the Midwest and Southeast. Air Evac is also the largest air ambulance provider in 8 of its 14 states.[5] In those states, they have 105 bases.[6]
LifeStar operated out of 5 bases in Central Texas, those bases are listed below.
Life Air operated two bases in south central Ohio, those bases listed below
Air Evac Lifeteam employs over 350 registered nurses and 350 paramedics who serve on its medical flight crews, with one nurse and one paramedic serving on each mission.[7]
Medical direction is provided by 14 medical directors located in each of the states served by the company , however Alabama, Illinois, and Texas each have two medical directors. These medical directors work together to develop the Air Evac's medical protocols and ensure medical crews are in compliance with the medical regulations in each area. All of Air Evac Lifeteam medical directors are board certified.[8]
Air Evac owns and operates over 110 Bell 206 Long Ranger helicopters and six Bell 407 helicopters which are equipped with, Garmin 396 GPS with XM Weather overlay, Garmin 430 GPS VHF, Baker Mode S. Transponder, SkyTrac satellite tracking, Intellistart, night vision goggles, and Air Evac’s proprietary litter system. The company has flown the Bell 206 LongRanger since its founding in 1985 because of its reliability, efficiency, agility and excellent safety record.[9]
Possible health care fraud - On 25 May 2007, Air Evac Lifeteam, said in a statement "Government authorities retrieved documents from the corporate offices of Air Evac Lifeteam today as part of an inquiry concerning billing and health care compliance related matters,"[10] The company was cleared of any wrongdoing on 2 October 2009.[11]
The New York Times ran an article on May 3, 2005 where they reported that allegations were made the Air Ambulances in general and Air Evac Lifeteam in particular were jumping other air ambulance services' calls and their people were not calling 911 when they needed help, they were calling Air Evac. The article quotes Cliff Rost, the volunteer fire chief in Morrison, Missouri. The article also quotes Air Evac's CEO Colin C. Collins who said that Air Evac made only medically necessary flights and that the company had saved "countless lives." He also said Air Evac did not "jump calls."[12]
