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Alliance Health and AirEvac agree to base at hospital campus to speed critical patient transport
Summary
Durant-area Alliance Health said AirEvac will establish a small base on its campus, with living quarters for three crew, roughly 1,100 sq. ft. of repurposed space and an anticipated construction timeline that could put the base in service by mid- to late summer 2025.
Shelton Williams, chief executive officer of Alliance Health, told the Durant Industrial Authority on March 4 that AirEvac has been approved for funding to build a flight-crew base on the hospital campus and that construction should be completed by mid- to late summer.
The new base will repurpose about 1,100 square feet of unused hospital space into living quarters for roughly three flight crew members, Williams said. "At the end of the day, having a flight service help us to immediately get a patient to a higher level comprehensive stroke program, is what this partnership enables us to do," he said.
Williams said Alliance and AirEvac began exploring the site more than a year ago and rekindled discussions about two months ago. He said AirEvac has prepared drawings and was approved for the funding last Friday. Williams estimated administrative review of drawings by the city would take about a month, with construction taking another 60 to 90 days once drawings are finalized.
The living quarters will include sleeping areas, a kitchen and shared space so crew can remain on-site while available to respond 24/7, Williams said. He said the arrangement is intended to improve timely access to higher-level stroke care by reducing transfer time for patients across the hospital’s roughly 10.5-county service area.
Kathy, the authority’s executive director, praised the collaboration between Alliance Health and the Industrial Authority. No formal vote or action was taken by the board on the AirEvac update; trustees heard the informational report during the executive director’s report.
Williams said the installation will involve a minor occupancy change and city permitting. He told trustees the project team expects the base to be operational "before the end of summer or right in the middle of summer," contingent on final drawings and city approvals.
