Emergency Medical Helicopter Begins Operations at Warrenton-Astoria Regional Airport

Life Flight Network (LFN), the largest not-for-profit air medical transport service in the United States, announced it has opened its newest base at the Warrenton-Astoria Regional Airport in Warrenton, Oregon. The base will provide 24/7 emergency medical air transport to residents and visitors of the Oregon and Washington Coast.

Directly benefitting from an emergency medical helicopter being moments away are; Columbia Memorial Hospital, Providence Seaside Hospital, Ocean Beach Hospital, and Willapa Harbor Hospital. Other surrounding communities, such as Tillamook, Rockaway, Manzanita, Cannon Beach, and Seaside in Oregon as well as Long Beach and Raymond in Washington will also benefit from having this new air medical resource available.

Life Flight Network has served the area for nearly four decades from the Portland-Vancouver Metro area. The helicopter stationed in Astoria is a twin-engine Agusta 109. The instrument rated helicopter can travel from the coast to Portland in approximately 25 minutes.

Dr. Lisa Huddleston, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Providence Seaside Hospital, stated, “I think the medical community and myself are very excited to have the already well observed expertise and enhanced skill level of Life Flight Network transport.”

Bill Boone, Fire Chief of Hamlet Fire & Rescue said, “The fire service and rescue community is very pleased to have this resource. It will benefit our community by cutting down the time it takes for critical care patients to get to the hospital, as well as provide a high level of care during transport.”

Skip Hauke, Executive Director for the Astoria-Warrenton Chamber of Commerce, said, “I am so excited that Life Flight Network has decided to use the Astoria-Warrenton area as a base of operations for one of their helicopters. This will be a huge benefit to all of Clatsop County and our surrounding areas.” He goes on to explain, “Several years ago I had a heart attack, and while I received excellent care at Columbia Memorial’s ER, they made the decision to transport me via Life Flight Network to St. Vincent in Portland…. In my opinion, Life Flight Network simply provides one more very important level of care for all of us and having them based right here in Clatsop County is even better. Clatsop County wins again.”

For a nominal annual fee, LFN offers a membership. Members incur no out-of-pocket expense if flown for medically necessary emergent conditions. Membership also helps support operations in locations where there is a need for air medical transportation, such as Astoria. To request more information about the membership program, or if organizations would like an in-person presentation, please contact the LFN membership office at (800) 982-9299.

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