South Central Ohio Company Absorbed By Missouri Air Ambulance
Service
Life Air, which operates air ambulance bases in Portsmouth and
Chillicothe, OH, has been acquired by Air Evac Lifeteam, an air
medical provider headquartered in West Plains, MO.
Air Evac Lifeteam President and CEO Seth Myers said the air
ambulance bases will continue to operate under the Life Air name
and customers should expect to see a seamless transition as the
Life Air employees continue their tradition of providing high
quality critical care services to residents and hospitals in
southern Ohio. Myers said it is Air Evac Lifeteam’s intention
to employ the medical, pilot and maintenance staff at these two
bases.
“The purchase of Life Air will help further the mission of
Air Evac Lifeteam and the air ambulance industry by making air
transport more accessible to more people, particularly those who
live in rural communities,” Myers said. “Life Air will
complement our operations and is a tremendous fit with our
company’s mission to save lives in rural America. Both
companies share the common belief that air ambulances should be
placed in the areas of greatest need – in rural communities
where response times may be long and critical life-saving care may
be hours away.
“We’re looking forward to working with the Life Air
staff to make air medical transport available to even more people
who need this valuable service,” he added. “They have
achieved an excellent reputation in the area for the quality of
care they provide and feel this will be a great partnership for
their customers and the future of Air Evac Lifeteam.”
Life Air was formed as an “arm” of Life Ambulance, a
ground ambulance service which has been in operation since 1985.
Life Ambulance will continue to operate under its present
ownership. “This strategic sale was designed to allow Life
Ambulance to continue to grow while benefiting from the vertical
integration of an air and ground business model,” said Mike
Pistole, Owner/CEO of Life Ambulance.
Air Evac Lifeteam Bell 206 File Photo
“Ground and Air transportation services share many things
in common but also have some stark operational differences,”
he explained. “This arrangement is designed to let each
organization utilize their strengths and leverage a cooperative
agreement between the two organizations. The end result is the same
service, provided by the same personnel that Life Air customers
have come to appreciate. The synergy between the two companies and
Air Evac Lifeteam’s willingness to utilize Life’s
personnel was paramount for me to come to the decision. It’s
a source of pride that the Life Air name and people will continue
to operate alongside Life Ambulance.”
Air Evac Lifeteam was one of the first air ambulance services in
the country to offer a membership program. Members pay an annual
fee and, if they are flown by Air Evac Lifeteam for life- or
limb-threatening medical emergencies, they do not have to pay for
the flight. Memberships are valid in all Air Evac Lifeteam service
areas, so members are covered while traveling through Air Evac
Lifeteam service areas.