Sierra Providence Med Flight will serve communities within a 150-mile radius of El Paso. It will transport patients to any hospital within the Sierra Providence Health Network and to other hospitals in the area if a higher level of service is needed and as deemed by the first responders on scene. A team consisting of a pilot, flight nurse and flight paramedic will be staffed-ready to respond in minutes from Sierra Medical Center. It can also include other specialists such as neonatal nurses, pediatric critical care nurses and respiratory therapists, as necessitated, depending on the patient’s condition.

A state-of-the-art twin engine American Eurocopter BK-117 helicopter will be used to provide rapid and safe transport and care for these critical patients. This helicopter is designed and fully equipped as a flying intensive care unit. "In minutes, they will be skids off the helipad and en route to save someone’s life,” said Marvin McLellan, the project manager.

“Sierra Providence Health Network is excited to launch one of the first private sector hospital based, air medical program in El Paso and the surrounding region. I’m honored to announce that it will be based here at our facility, Sierra Medical Center. This will offer air medical services to Southern New Mexico and West Texas communities for patients that need to be transferred to one of our network facilities for higher level hospital care. Now, physicians and hospitals in these communities will be able to rely on the support of SPHN during times of critical need. That means a critically ill pediatric patient in Deming, or a fragile neonate in Alamogordo, or an adult stroke patient in Ruidoso, that otherwise doesn’t have access to specialized medical care, will now have immediate access to Sierra Providence Health Network facilities, doctors and staff,” said Edmundo Castaneda, CEO for Sierra Medical Center.

Expanding The Level Of Healthcare In The Community

• First bedside to bedside helicopter pediatric and neonatal transport system in the region.
• First High Risk Maternal transport program in the region to provide specialized care for both mom and her unborn baby to include fetal monitoring capabilities, specialized medications and interventions to stabilize life threatening conditions
• Extends the excellence in care provided by SPHN and Children’s Hospital at Providence to communities within a 150 mile radius of El Paso when speed in access to highly specialized care can make the difference between life and death.
• Transport program will be an integral component of the Emergency Response System in El Paso County and surround communities in Southern New Mexico and Texas.  Will be able to respond in minutes when summoned by emergency responders and deliver advanced care such as blood, advanced airway management and life support equipment for both children and adults.
• Program is developed to support our local EMS responders as part of the chain of survival in caring for critically injured and ill patients.
• The PETT-NETT specialized pediatric and neonate transport team at the Children’s Hospital at Providence will provide highly specialized care and transport for the tiniest of babies and most critically ill or injured children.

“It will raise patient services to greater heights for those in the region,” said John Harris, Sierra Providence Health Network president during yesterday’s press conference.

Joel Hochhalter, Vice President of Business Operations of Omniflight Helicopters, Inc. added, “Omniflight is very excited and proud to have the opportunity to work with Sierra Medical Center and sister hospitals on the development of this new service for the El Paso community. I applaud Sierra Providence for recognizing and stepping up to offer specialized neonatal and pediatric services along with general medical transport services for the region. These specialized services are long overdue for the El Paso and surrounding communities of southern New Mexico and west Texas.”

Sierra Providence Health Network announced today that it will open the first Urgent Care Center (UCC) affiliated to a hospital network in the region. The 4800 square foot facility will open on February 14, 2011 and is located at 11380 Gateway North (the corner of US 54 and McCombs) in the rapidly growing section of Northeast El Paso.

The Urgent Care Center will provide a cost-effective alternative to the emergency room and a more convenient option than waiting for an appointment. The facility is designed to handle many of the medical problems that can develop unexpectedly and demand immediate attention. The generous size and design of the facility allows for excellent patient flow which, for the consumer, means a much shorter stay. The goal will be for most non-emergent patients to be seen, treated and released in less than an hour.

Edmundo Castaneda, Chief Executive Officer of Sierra Medical Center, said, “We have a long tradition of providing quality patient care and service to the entire region, and we are proud to expand that commitment and bring it closer to home for the proud residents of Northeast El Paso.”

As member of the Urgent Care Association of America, the UCC will be backed by physicians, nurses and radiology technicians to help ensure a high caliber of care for area residents. The center consists of eight exam rooms, two procedure rooms, digital x-ray and an advanced on-site lab. It will also have two workplace drug testing restrooms and is equipped to provide comprehensive employee health services. The UCC is open 7 days a week including most holidays. The hours of operation are from 12pm-10pm Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm Saturday and Sunday. All major insurance is accepted including TriCare and no appointment is necessary. For additional information please call (915) 577-8221.

“As our community continues to grow, the need for comprehensive medical services also increases,” Castaneda said. “At Sierra Medical Center, we are proud to be able to help meet the community’s health care needs for years to come. We see this Urgent Care Center as a great opportunity to support the strong relationships with our area primary care physicians by providing after hours support for their patients.”