This showed up on
Ornge website today;
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
August 25, 2008
Ornge purchases new fleet of high performance medically equipped helicopters
Signals a new era in transport medicine for Ontario patients
TORONTO – Ornge, Canada’s leading innovator in the field of transport medicine announced today it is purchasing 10 new AgustaWestland helicopters to replace the current aging fleet of Sikorsky S-76 helicopters owned and operated by Canadian Helicopters Limited (CHL).
“When Ornge was appointed to take over operations of the air ambulance system in 2006, we immediately began looking at ways to improve the medical transport system and to make it more sustainable and efficient” said Dr. Chris Mazza, president and CEO of Ornge. “These new medically equipped helicopters are the most technologically advanced rotor wing aircraft in the industry today and Ontarians will benefit greatly and be proud to call them their own” he added.
The air ambulance program began operations in 1977 with a single helicopter at the Buttonville airport. The program has since grown to include 11 helicopters, 76 fixed wing aircraft operated under various service providers and 22 bases around the province, 9 of which are staffed 24/7. The current 11 helicopters are owned and operated by CHL but under exclusive contract to Ornge. Ornge provides the highly skilled and trained medical crews who provide the care to the patients in these helicopters.
As the existing contract with CHL expires in April 2009, Ornge is in the process of a Request for Information with Pricing for a rotor wing flight service provider.
“Ornge’s decision to purchase our own helicopters is an important step in fulfilling our commitment to provide Ontarians with a world-class medical transport capacity”, said Dr. Mazza. “This new business model will not only enable Ornge to contain the escalating costs associated with medical transports while replacing the current aging fleet, but more importantly it will also enable more patients to be transported while receiving the highest level of medical care they deserve,” he added. This move will enable Ornge to enhance and expand its services and programs for Ontario residents.
Ornge operates from a number of bases across the province and performs approximately 18,000 admissions annually. It coordinates all aspects of Ontario’s aero medical transport system, the new critical care land transport program, and the authorization of air and land ambulance transfers between hospitals. Ornge is dedicated to the provision of high quality patient care through innovative transport medicine.