HERMISTON, Ore.- Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new Life Flight Network helicopter hangar at its Hermiston campus on April 17.
GSHCS President and CEO Art Mathisen spoke of the importance of air medical transport, especially the “golden hour,” between the time someone is injured and when they receive lifesaving care, at the ribbon cutting.
“Life Flight is literally a flight, often for someone’s life, and it’s essential for those who need lifesaving care quickly,” said Mathisen. “The golden hour is so critical, and having Life Flight on campus can save 20 minutes or more, and that means unquestionably in my mind that lives will be saved.”
GSHCS is now only the second hospital partnering with Life Flight Network for a fully staffed hangar on campus, with the other in Kona, Hawaii.
Life Flight Network CEO Ben Clayton also spoke at the ribbon-cutting attended by leadership from both Life Flight Network and GSHCS administration, as well as media representatives and the Hermiston community.
“This is a really important milestone for Life Flight, GSHCS, Hermiston, and the surrounding areas,” said Clayton. “We’re strengthening readiness, and that’s the difference between life and death.”
GSHCS and Life Flight: a lifesaving partnership
The partnership between GSHCS and Life Flight Network began in 2023, with Life Flight operating out of the Hermiston Airport as an opportunity to expand air medical services, addressing a critical need in rural Northeast Oregon communities.
“The difference between being there and already being here is at least 15-20 minutes, and that’s the difference between somebody living and possibly dying,” said Mathisen. “This is an outstanding additional support to potentially save lives of our community members.”
The hangar sits about 50 yards away from the GSHCS Emergency Department, an essential feature when patients are experiencing time-sensitive, possibly critical medical conditions, such as heart attacks or strokes.
“Being at the hospital is critical and anybody who needs rapid transfer will benefit,” said Clayton, highlighting the speed at which patients can be moved from the Emergency Department to a Life Flight Network helicopter. “The speed and efficiency of this is phenomenal.”
The $2.2 million Life Flight Network hangar on the GSHCS campus will be staffed around-the-clock with pilots, nurses and paramedics, ensuring access to critical care when and if patients need it.
“Being right here is incredibly important to the needs of the patients in the hospital that may need to be transported,” said pilot Anson Smith, who has been with Life Flight Network since 2023 and flew for almost 20 years in the National Guard before that.
The new hangar will also allow onsite maintenance crews to work on the helicopters out of the elements.
Life Flight Network
Life Flight Network operates with about 65 aircraft in Oregon, Washington State, Idaho, Montana, and Hawaii, providing emergency patient transport services.
According to Clayton, Life Flight Network works with medical insurance companies to ensure there are no surprises after a patient’s flight.
“Air transport can be less than ground transport, and Life Flight Network has a robust membership program for you and your family for $85 a month,” said Clayton.
A Life Flight Network membership includes unlimited air transport for you and your family with no out-of-pocket costs.
With the opening of the new hangar, GSHCS and Life Flight Network are ensuring access to critical care for the Hermiston community and across the region.
“It doesn’t get any better than this type of partnership,” said Mathisen. “It already has saved lives, and it will continue to save lives.”
