Cooper University Health Care has formed a partnership with Metro Aviation to launch a new air medical transport service.
The service, which replaced Cooper’s previous air transportation program the health system had with Atlantic Aviation, will transport emergency care patients from throughout the seven counties of South Jersey.
Injured patients will be flown by helicopter from emergency scenes to the closest appropriate hospital or trauma center.
Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J., operates the only Level I trauma center in South Jersey. The helicopter service will also provide hospital-to-hospital transfers for critically ill patients in the region who need more advanced medical and/or surgical care.
Cooper Air Med, the program’s state-of-the-art medical helicopter, will be based at the Millville Municipal Airport in Millville, Cumberland County. The program, which began on Nov. 1, will operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week, weather permitting.
In 2014, Cooper treated more than 83,000 patients through its emergency department and nearly 3,000 patients through the trauma center. In addition, Cooper operates three urgent care centers in Cherry Hill, Audubon and Sicklerville.
Metro Aviation Inc. is a privately held company based in Shreveport, Louisiana.