St. Luke’s and Geisinger sign air medical collaboration agreement

Danville, PA — Officials at St. Luke’s University Health Network and Geisinger today announced the signing of an air medical collaboration agreement for Geisinger’s Life Flight program to provide air medical services for St. Luke’s beginning on July 1, 2018.

“St. Luke’s is excited to be collaborating with Geisinger to provide excellent air transport and medical coverage for patients in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding counties,” Joel Fagerstrom, St. Luke’s University Health Network’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

 “Our Life Flight program has a long history of providing the highest level of critical care emergent transport services to people in need, and we look forward to working in conjunction with St. Luke’s to ensure that patients have access to professional and timely air medical services,” said Thomas B. Weir, associate chief administrative officer, Geisinger Clinic.

Geisinger’s Life Flight has transported more than 60,000 patients over the past 36 years. The program includes 100 team members and operates seven helicopters out of five bases in Danville, Minersville, State College, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Williamsport. Approximately 65 percent of Life Flight flights are transports from one hospital to another, and 35 percent are from accident sites throughout the region.

This air medical service collaboration will feature a state-of-the-art, twin-engine EC145 helicopter manufactured from Airbus Helicopters. The spacious aircraft is night vision goggle certified and can carry two patients, the care team and specialized medical equipment. The EC145’s advanced avionics capabilities allow flight crews to conduct both instrument-only and single-pilot flights. 

St. Luke’s University Health Network currently contracts with Penn Medicine to provide air medical services through the PennSTAR program.