A life-saving helicopter is flying over Laurens County thanks to a new air medical base in Clinton, SC. Today LifeNet 7 and Prisma Health held a joint “helicopter unveiling” event at Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital to let residents take a look at the aircraft that transports emergency and accident victims to hospitals. Since opening the base last month, LifeNet 7 has already transported a significant number of patients including those with heart attacks, strokes and traumatic injuries from car accidents.

“This helicopter is a crucial resource for people in this area,” said Patrick Lamontagne, account executive with Air Methods, the parent company of LifeNet and the leading air medical provider in the United States. “Thanks to our fast response times and the exceptional skills of our flight nurses and paramedics, lives will be saved. We are thankful for the opportunity to support our community in this way.”

The EC130 T2 helicopter is known for its efficiency and safety. With blood stocked on board the aircraft, the fully staffed crew of industry-leading trauma clinicians can administer it to patients in-flight when there is a risk of severe blood loss and hemorrhagic shock. With the new base near the hospital, this asset ensures residents have access to superior air medical services with quicker response times for emergency and trauma situations. The helicopter can transport patients from the field and also quickly carry patients between hospitals for different levels of care as needed.

The LifeNet 7 base opened March 1, 2023, adding to the already established LifeNet program serving South Carolina with bases in Pickens, Camden, and Orangeburg, further expanding access to emergency medical care for patients in rural areas.

“LifeNet is a strong partner for Prisma Heath, in part because they care about patients as much as we do,” said Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital’s Justin Benfield, “Having this aircraft right in our community means patients can get to the right level of care as quickly as possible, and that can make the difference between life and death in some cases.”

Speakers at the unveiling event included:

• Laurens County Hospital and Hillcrest Hospital CEO Justin Benfield
• Laurens County Hospital Chief Physician Executive and emergency medicine physician Dr. Amber Laney
• Laurens County Council Chairman Brown Patterson
• Air Methods Account Executive Patrick Lamontagne

Because LifeNet is part of Air Methods, patients transported by this helicopter will not face burdensome bills for the service. Not only is Air Methods in-network with most major health insurance companies, but they also offer a robust patient advocacy program that works with each patient to ensure affordability without the need for a pre-paid membership.

This press release was prepared and distributed by Prisma Health