UCHealth LifeLine

UCHealth LifeLine is the air and ground critical care transport service of UCHealth. It covers the Colorado Front Range and beyond, with a base at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado. It is a hospital programme, and partner companies fly the aircraft.

Services

LifeLine moves patients anywhere in the UCHealth system or to other facilities. It does hospital to hospital transfers and scene response. A communications center in Aurora coordinates air and ground dispatch. The site says it is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Crews can carry adult and pediatric patients, including patients on ECMO, LVAD and Impella support.

Aircraft and bases

The site says LifeLine uses five Airbus H125 helicopters run by REACH Air Medical Services, and one PC12 plane run by Guardian Air Medical Services. Aircraft are based at:

• Loveland, Colorado (LifeLine 1)
• Colorado Springs, Colorado (LifeLine 2)
• Cheyenne, Wyoming (LifeLine 3)
• La Junta, Colorado (LifeLine 4)
• Pueblo, Colorado (LifeLine 5)
• Denver, Colorado (LifeLine 19)

Helicopters have a flight nurse and a flight paramedic. They respond within a 150 mile radius of their bases. UCHealth runs three critical care ground ambulances too.

Crews are trained for trauma, heart, brain and other medical problems in adults and children. The site says LifeLine will come to the bedside to assess a patient for transport, whatever the patient's weight. Ground units respond up to 250 miles away. Aircraft carry cardiac monitors, ventilators, handheld ultrasound and LUCAS CPR devices.

Facts

• Type: hospital programme of UCHealth, part of UCHealth EMS
• Aircraft operators: REACH Air Medical Services and Guardian Air Medical Services
• CAMTS accreditation is held by LifeLine, according to the site