Video: MedStat Expands Air Ambulance Service

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 WINONA, Miss. (WCBI)-A Winona based air ambulance service is expanding into the Golden Triangle area.

 MedStat helicopter emergency medical service operation, is taking off to new heights.

 “The closest air ambulance that they have to the golden triangle area is either Tupelo or Jackson. And  the way the systems are being put together now as far as evacuating patients to major trauma centers, tertiary care centers, having to wait for 30 to 45 minutes for an air ambulance from out of the area sometimes is just not the the best choice,” said Barry Eskridge, CEO, MedStat EMS.

 Local ground EMS agencies at locations like the one at OCH in Starkville, are sure to benefit from this expanded service that helps lesson the response time from the point of injury to the point the patient enters surgery.

 “Any second that we can save getting those patients to a level one trauma center or level two trauma center, can save their life,” said Mike Hunt, OCH EMS Director.

 With the expanded service at GTR Airport, there is increased speed of transportation.

 Not only that, there will be two helicopters if one is in use there is a back up.

 That back up is not only in the air.

 Medstat also has ground ambulance service in Aberdeen and Monroe county.

 “And this aircraft will back up our ground ambulance operation in those areas in addition to the ground ambulance operation here at Starkville, Columbus, and West Point,” said Eskridge.

 One air ambulance in Winona, the other in Lowndes County at GTR.

 Two are always better than one, especially when it comes down to seconds and lives saved.

 Both Medstat helicopters were built at the American Eurocopter facility in Columbus.