CORDELE — Air Evac Lifeteam, a rural provider of air ambulance services, has expanded its service area in Georgia with the opening of a base in Cordele.

The base will be located at 1722 N. 2nd Street in Cordele at the Crisp County Airport. It will be one of more than 85 bases in Air Evac Lifeteam’s network of air ambulance services.

Bases are located in rural communities in 14 states throughout the central United States. The base will provide employment for 12 to 15 local employees and will serve communities within a 70-mile radius.

Air Evac Lifeteam, headquartered in West Plains, Mo., is the largest independently owned air ambulance service in the country. The company’s business philosophy is based on the belief that air ambulances should be placed in areas of greatest need – rural communities that are often hours away from lifesaving trauma care.

“People who live in rural communities are twice as likely to die from a critical injury or illness than their counterparts who live in metropolitan areas – mainly due to the amount of time it takes to reach medical care,” said Air Evac Lifeteam President Seth Myers.

“Our goal is to decrease that statistic by giving those who’ve chosen to live in rural America equal access to quality health care.

“The opening of this base is part of an oncoming commitment by Air Evac Lifeteam and the health care community in this region to improve access to trauma care for residents of rural America,” Myers said.

“The people of this region are very fortunate to have access to quality health care services though their local hospitals and EMS providers. Our goal is be an extension of that excellent service by providing rapid transport in critical medical situations,” Myers added.

“We commend these local officials for recognizing the benefits this lifesaving resource will be to the patients they serve.”

Program Director Tony Sumrow has been with Air Evac Lifeteam since Nov. 2007 and recently accepted the position with the Cordele base. “I am excited to be here and help provide this service to people in the area. I want to thank Crisp County EMS Director David Edwards for his assistance in getting the base established here.

“We are looking forward for Air Evac Lifeteam to be around to assist with patient transportation when needed,” explained Edwards.

“Three surrounding counties do not have hospitals but we do here in Cordele. This means that we can’t always meet the medical needs of everyone and right now the EMS agency in town is responsible for moving patients. Many times there is a great distance involved and it is a long trip for the crew and patient.

“With Air Evac Lifeteam, we’ll be able to transport some patients by air so they can receive the medical care they need in a timely manner. Plus we, the ground service, will still be in town to provide transport as needed.”

Edwards plans for the ground ambulance to use Air Evac Lifeteam’s service when appropriate and expects the hospital will also utilize the service.

“There is a need here in south Georgia where we are underserved by trauma centers and medical. This will help patients to get the treatment and care they need in serious situations.”