Grady Health System has started a new medical helicopter service to bring faster emergency care to patients across the Southeast.
The helicopter, called Grady Air, works with Air Methods to provide hospital-level care while flying patients to treatment. Grady medical staff will care for patients during flights while Air Methods pilots fly the aircraft.
The service aims to get critically injured patients to Grady Memorial Hospital’s trauma center more quickly. The hospital runs one of the busiest trauma centers in the country.
“Time is of the essence when it comes to trauma care,” said Dr. Ryan Fransman, medical director of Grady Air at Grady Health System. “Every minute we save in transporting a critically injured patient to our trauma center increases their chance of survival. As Atlanta’s only Level I trauma center, this new helicopter gives us the reach, speed, and medical capacity to make a real difference when every second counts.”
The helicopter carries advanced medical equipment and can fit multiple medical workers. This allows patients to receive intensive care during transport to the hospital.
Grady Air will serve metro Atlanta and surrounding areas around the clock. The service will handle emergency calls and move patients between hospitals when needed.
The hospital will continue working with other medical aircraft services in the region. This helps ensure patients can get to advanced trauma care as quickly as possible.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
