UMMC AirCare launches fixed-wing aircraft to expand access to specialized care across Mississippi
The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s AirCare has officially launched its new fixed-wing service, with AirCare 5 now operational and available to transport patients who need specialized care over longer distances across Mississippi and the surrounding region.
The launch marks the latest expansion of AirCare’s critical care transport capabilities and follows UMMC’s announcement earlier this year that a fixed-wing aircraft would be added to its fleet. Based in Jackson, the Pilatus PC-12 becomes AirCare’s fifth aircraft and its first fixed-wing aircraft.
For patients in Mississippi’s rural and community hospitals, access to specialized trauma, stroke, transplant, neonatal, burn or cardiac care can require traveling significant distances. AirCare 5 provides UMMC and its partner hospitals with another option for safely and efficiently transporting patients when the care they need is not available locally.
Guardian Flight, part of the Global Medical Response (GMR) family of air medical services, provides UMMC with the aircraft, pilot and aviation operations for AirCare 5. UMMC provides medical direction and staffing support for the clinical crews on board.
The expansion is particularly significant in Mississippi, where 50 percent of the state’s population lives in nonmetropolitan communities, according to the Rural Health Information Hub. When patients experience a serious illness or injury requiring services unavailable locally, reaching a higher level of care can mean traveling outside their communities.
“Often, we see patients who need access to a higher level of specialized care, and distance can become a real operational barrier,” said Jeremy Benson, director of the Mississippi Center for Emergency Services and program director for AirCare. “This fixed-wing asset helps us bridge that gap. It gives AirCare the ability to reach farther, support our partner hospitals more effectively and bring patients to the right level of care in a safe, timely and efficient manner.”
Dr. L. Kendall McKenzie, chair of the UMMC Department of Emergency Medicine, said the launch of fixed-wing service strengthens the Medical Center’s ability to connect critically ill and injured patients with advanced specialty care.
“With highly specialized services such as stroke, transplant, trauma, neonatal, STEMI and burn care, UMMC serves as a critical referral destination for some of the sickest and most seriously injured patients in the region,” said McKenzie. “This additional transport capability enhances our emergency response network and helps ensure patients can be transferred safely and efficiently to the care teams and resources they need.”
AirCare 5 adds fixed-wing capability to a fleet that previously consisted entirely of helicopters. While helicopters remain essential for emergency responses and regional transfers, fixed-wing transport provides another option when patients must travel greater distances or when other operational factors make helicopter transportation less practical.
Configured to transport one patient, the Pilatus PC-12 combines longer-range, higher-speed performance with a pressurized cabin that provides space for the medical team, specialized equipment and mission-specific supplies. Its instrument-flight capability gives the aircraft and medical team the ability to provide transport and patient care in inclement weather. The fixed-wing airplane can also operate from smaller regional airports, giving AirCare more options when distance, airport access or operating conditions make helicopter transportation less practical.
“We are proud to partner with the University of Mississippi Medical Center AirCare on the expansion of their flight program,” said Billy Casey, regional director for GMR. “This important addition strengthens their capacity to provide exceptional clinical care to communities across Mississippi and neighboring states.”
AirCare 5 joins helicopters based in Jackson, Meridian, Columbus and Greenwood. Operating alongside AirCare’s Jackson helicopter base, the fixed-wing aircraft supports transfers between hospitals throughout Mississippi and the surrounding region. Each destination is determined by the patient’s medical needs, the specialized services required and the receiving hospital’s ability to provide that care.
AirCare is part of the Mississippi Center for Emergency Services at UMMC. Established in 1996, the program provides critical care transport for patients of all ages. AirCare’s helicopter transport operations are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS).