UVA Medical Transport Network

UVA Medical Transport Network, part of UVA Health in Charlottesville, Virginia, provides emergency medical transportation to patients who cannot travel on their own to a hospital. The service includes both helicopter and ground ambulance transport to ensure fast and safe patient transfers. Since its start in 1984, UVA Medical Transport Network has been supporting emergency care with timely patient moves.

The network operates helicopter and ground vehicles equipped with critical care and life support systems. It serves patients from emergency scenes and transfers patients between hospitals as needed, including newborns requiring special care in UVA Health Children's NICU. The network mainly operates from the University Medical Center in Charlottesville and covers requests primarily within Virginia and from out of state.

Medical crews include emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and trained healthcare providers who deliver medical supervision and care during transport. They provide basic and advanced life support, giving medicine, applying bandages, performing CPR, and initiating other life-saving treatments when moving patients to medical facilities.

The helicopter used by UVA Medical Transport Network is an Airbus EC145e dual engine aircraft configured for medical missions. It is equipped for critical patient needs, including support for devices like Impella, intra-aortic balloon pumps, and ECMO. Flights can be conducted at night using night vision goggles, and pilots are single IFR rated. Aviation services, including pilots and mechanics, are provided through Metro Aviation under FAA Part 135 certification. UVA Health also maintains its own maintenance facility with full-time mechanics. A backup helicopter is available through regional medevac sharing agreements.

Healthcare providers request transports for patients. In emergencies, the public is instructed to call 911. Dispatch and coordination are handled via Pegasus MedCom, which accepts emergency transport requests. UVA Medical Transport Network also supports special event medical management and critical care ambulance ground services to enhance medical response capacity in the region.

Services

• Helicopter Transport
• Ground Ambulance Transport
• Newborn Emergency Transport System (NETS)
• Medic V Ground Critical Care Ambulance
• Special Event Medical Management
• Emergency Patient Transfers
• Inter-hospital Transport
• Critical Care Transport
• Emergency Transport Dispatch
• Medical Supervision During Transport