University of Iowa AirCare

Name: University of Iowa AirCare
Telephone: 1-800-272-6440

University of Iowa AirCare is the emergency medical helicopter transport program operated by University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City, Iowa. It is Iowa’s first and longest-serving emergency helicopter service, providing rapid transport for critically ill and severely injured patients across the region.

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1-800-272-6440

About University of Iowa AirCare

AirCare flights are staffed by flight nurses and paramedics, each with at least three years of critical care or emergency experience, and often include a physician. The medical teams come from University of Iowa Health Care, while Air Methods provides the aircraft, fuel, maintenance, dispatch, and billing. The program operates 24/7.

The medical crews are trained to transport patients on advanced life support equipment, including balloon pumps, Impella heart pumps, and ECMO. A neonatal team specifically cares for newborns transferred to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Every flight carries essential blood products such as red blood cells and plasma.

AirCare has been in service since April 1, 1979. It holds accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) since 2013. The program maintains four bases throughout the service region. Crews engage in monthly training on critical care skills and participate in research and education, including offering safety training for EMS teams and hospital staff.

The program is based in Iowa City and serves the wider Iowa region. It focuses on emergency and critical care transport via helicopters supplied by Air Methods. The collaboration between University of Iowa Health Care and Air Methods ensures integrated medical direction and flight operations.