Partnership between Intermountain and Uintah Basin Medical Center Brings Life Flight to Eastern Utah

This partnership marks the first time that Intermountain Healthcare has partnered with a non-Intermountain Healthcare facility, and will include coverage of all of Eastern Utah. 

The new partnership is a bit of a homecoming for Intermountain Life Flight, as Roosevelt was the location of the program’s first patient flight when the Life Flight program was launched on July 6, 1978, as the nation's 7th air transport program. Since then, Life Flight has become one of the premier air transport programs in the country.

Life Flight began day-basing an Agusta A109 K2 medical helicopter at Uintah Basin Medical Center in July for testing. Now, the helicopter and Life Flight team are stationed full-time at Uintah Basin Medical Center. 

Uintah Basin Medical Center is a non-profit, 42-bed community hospital that has served the residents of Eastern Utah for more than 70 years. 

Uintah Basin Medical Center CEO James Marshall said the hospital understands the importance of this certification in light of the many Uintah Basin residents who work far away from medical services. These aircraft bring highly specialized emergency equipment and medical personnel to remote locations when patients are critically-ill or injured and time is of the essence. 

“We have always taken the needs of our communities very seriously, and strive to do what is necessary to provide superior care. We are excited about our new partnership with Intermountain Life Flight,” said Marshall. 

Life Flight already saved its first patient, a heart attack patient who was flown from Roosevelt to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray — more than a two-hour trip by car. The patient was admitted and treated at Intermountain Medical Center in less than 90 minutes, the recommended treatment time for heart attack patients. 

“We are very excited to bring Life Flight transport services to the Uintah Basin, especially those that involve time-sensitive critical elements where we can transport patients to tertiary care facilities very quickly,” said Pamela Moore, Executive Director of Intermountain Life Flight. 

The helicopter stationed at Uintah Basin Medical Center will be one of two Agusta A109 K2 helicopters, which are designed for high-altitude flying conditions that exist in Utah. 

The Intermountain Life Flight program currently operates six helicopters, which travel about 120 and 150 mph: Two Agusta A109 K2 (one based at the Life Flight Operation Center, and one now based at the Uintah Basin Medical Center) and four Agusta AW109 SP Grand based along the Wasatch Front and Southern Utah to serve the intermountain community. 

The four other bases are located at Intermountain Medical Center, Murray; McKay Dee Medical Center, Ogden; Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, Provo; and Dixie Regional Medical Center, St. George. 

Life Flight was the 7th air medical service in the United States and the 1st in Utah to be CAMTS accredited and is the only civilian air transport service in the nation certified by the FAA to conduct hoist/rescue operations.