Covenant Health Air Unveils Two Medical Helicopters Based at Rockwood and Morristown in East Tennessee
Why It MattersHospital-system-owned air medical bases in rural East Tennessee show regional health networks building their own aviation capacity to cut response times, with twin-engine IFR aircraft widening the weather range they can serve.
Covenant Health Air unveiled two new medical helicopters on Monday, one based in Rockwood and the other in Morristown, Tennessee, to speed transport of critically ill patients in East Tennessee. Covenant Health said it chose the two locations based on the placement of its other facilities.
Covenant Health Air Medical Manager Terry Neal said the aim is to "bring the hospital to the bedside." He said that while an ambulance can take an hour to reach a rural patient, the helicopters can do so in under 20 minutes. Covenant Health Director of EMS Danny McCreary, who has worked in EMS for 22 years, called the service a significant extra resource for the community.
The helicopter has twin engines and IFR capability, allowing pilots to fly in low-visibility conditions, including inside clouds, to reach patients in bad weather. It carries ventilators, heart monitors and about 100 medications, and can care for patients ranging from premature infants to adults. Neal said all onboard equipment is the newest available on the market.
Since launching in May, Covenant Health Air has received more than 800 calls, assisting patients in rural areas. Pilot Collin Hubbard flew a reporter on a loop around Knoxville, taking off from the organization's administrative building there.
