Hackensack Meridian Health AirMed One

Hackensack Meridian Health AirMed One operates an air medical program serving the state of New Jersey and southern New York. The program began service on April 7, 2012, and later expanded with a second helicopter, AirMed Two, joining on May 22, 2019. Both helicopters operate under an FAA Part 135 certificate issued to their partner Air Methods, who manages the aircraft operations.

The program provides emergency air medical transport 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It handles critical situations such as motor vehicle crashes, pedestrian injuries, strokes, burns, and boating or swimming accidents where rapid transport can impact patient outcomes. The helicopters are equipped to function as mobile intensive care units to provide advanced treatment during flight.

The flight crews consist of flight nurses and flight paramedics supported by pilots and mechanics. The team is led by a chief flight nurse and works closely with a Mobile Intensive Care Communications team (MICCOM) to coordinate responses and transfers. They partner with local police, fire departments, and ground emergency medical services within their health network.

Flights include rapid response to emergency scenes as well as inter-facility patient transfers. The aircraft are stationed at two bases: AirMed One at Greenwood Lake Municipal Airport in West Milford, NJ, and AirMed Two at Ocean County Airport in Bayville, NJ. The program enhances Hackensack Meridian Health's ability to provide timely medical care across a broad region.

In its first 10 years, AirMed One completed over 3,300 patient care flights. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS), recognizing its compliance with national standards for medical transport excellence. Its helicopters can carry patients requiring advanced technologies including life-support pumps and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Authorization to request the service is limited to physicians, hospitals, and first responders. The program does not accept direct calls from the general public. AirMed One is focused on providing high-acuity transport to ensure patients receive rapid and skilled medical attention during flight.

Through continuous operation and careful coordination with emergency services, Hackensack Meridian Health AirMed One supports critical care needs in the region, aiding in trauma, cardiac, and stroke emergencies among others.

Services

• Emergency air medical transport
• Inter-facility patient transfers
• 24/7 critical care flights
• Trauma patient transport
• Stroke and cardiac emergency transport
• Neonatal and pediatric patient transport
• Advanced life support during flight
• Coordination with EMS and first responders
• Mobile intensive care unit flights
• Patient transfer center coordination