New Helicopter Joins Teddy Bear Transport
American Eurocopter Wednesday announced the delivery of a
state-of-the-art EC145 to Cook Children's Medical Center. The new
EC145 will join Teddy Bear Transport services that also includes
ambulance and fixed-wing airplane transport. The program's first
helicopter entered service in 2004, and the new EC145 will upgrade
the fleet and allow Teddy Bear Transport to continue its mission of
providing critical care services to the children of Texas and
surrounding areas.
"The EC145's combination of size, performance and advanced
technologies has made it the platform of choice for a growing
number of EMS operators in the United States and around the world,"
said Marc Paganini, President and CEO of American Eurocopter. "We
respect Cook Children's and the industry-leading care they provide
to our community. We are very pleased that they have chosen the
EC145 and we look forward to working with them and supporting them
in their service of our community."
Cook Children's has a long-standing tradition of improving the
health status of our community's children by providing care
exclusively for the needs of children. It is nationally recognized
as one of the top children's hospitals in the United States and it
is supported by one of the largest pediatric transport programs in
the nation, known as Teddy Bear Transport. About 2,000 children are
transported to Cook Children's annually, most for critical
care.
"The safety of our patients and our crew is our top priority,"
said Jack Sosebee, Program Director, Cook Children's Teddy Bear
Transport. "Our choice of the EC145 came after an exhaustive
evaluation process involving the top helicopter companies in the
world. We were looking for a helicopter that provides the right
amount of performance, safety features, cabin size and
state-of-the-art technology. The EC145 was the clear winner."
The aircraft is offered in single pilot IFR and dual pilot IFR
configurations. Both options are equipped with the modern MEGHAS
glass cockpit and digital autopilot, which can greatly reduce pilot
workload. Cook Children's EC145 will be completed by Air Methods,
where it will be outfitted with the latest equipment and safety
features. It is expected to enter into service later this year.
"We are excited to get the EC145 into service. It loads like a
regular ambulance and its size allows better access to our
patients. The cabin size also helps to ensure that we can usually
bring a parent along during the flight, which is a benefit that can
not be measured," continues Sosebee.
Cook Children's Teddy Bear Transport serves the Dallas, Fort
Worth and surrounding areas, and was the first Texas neonatal
transport service asked by the State of Texas to assist with
Hurricane Rita evacuees in September 2005.
A celebration will be held honoring the event at American
Eurocopter's delivery center located at the company's headquarters
in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Friday beginning at 9:30 a.m. VIPs from
both Cook Children's and American Eurocopter will be on hand for
the event.