LUBBOCK, TX- Covenant Children’s is proud to announce the expansion of our
pediatric transportation service with the addition of an emergency transport helicopter.
The EC 135 twin-engine helicopter will be in service starting early 2022. It features room
for three providers and the patient, as well as the pilot and an additional rider. It has a
300+ mile reach and can fly at a speed of 135 knots, or 155 miles per hour. The pilot will
be equipped with night-vision goggles to safely monitor the skies at night.
Covenant Children’s is the only freestanding children’s hospital between Fort Worth and
Albuquerque. By adding this helicopter to our fleet of emergency transport vehicles, we
will continue to provide the best care for children in our region as close to home as
possible.
“Covenant Children’s is proud to serve such a large portion of West Texas and eastern
New Mexico,” Covenant Children’s CEO Dr. Amy Thompson said. “With such a large
region comes some unique challenges. This helicopter will help us quickly and safely
respond to the emergent needs of our pediatric population, getting our patients the
expert pediatric care they need while staying as close to home as possible.”
Over the past two years, we have seen an increase in the number of transfers to our
hospital, especially patients needing neonatal intensive care.
Children deserve specialized care with experts and equipment that best fit their needs.
In an emergency situation, seconds count. Our transportation services and highly
trained pediatric and neonatal transportation teams are on call 24/7.
The decision for a patient to be transported by ground or air is made by the physician
providing care based on what will influence the best outcome. Any cost to the patient is
first billed to insurance and there is no additional cost for the use of the specialty
transport teams.
Story courtesy of Meredith Avery Cunningham, Covenant
KLVT News 