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 Press release from Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines

(DES MOINES, IA)­—Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines announced in July 2010 that it would expand its air ambulance fleet to two helicopters to meet an increasing demand for service. Starting Monday, Nov. 15, Mercy One will begin operating a second air ambulance out of the Knoxville airport in Marion County.

“We are very excited to expand our fleet and base our second aircraft in Knoxville,” said Dan Keough, director of emergency transport services at Mercy. “We have seen a large increase in the number of requests for air ambulance transport from this area. A second aircraft will allow us to respond faster to rural areas in southeast Iowa.”

To commemorate the beginning of the new helicopter’s service, Mercy One crew members, Knoxville and Marion County law enforcement, fire and EMS, and the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce and city officials will host a special ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m. at the Knoxville airport. Light refreshments will be offered after the ceremony. Media and the public are invited to attend the event.

Currently, Mercy One serves a 75-mile radius around Des Moines with the state’s fastest air ambulance—the world’s first Bell 429 helicopter. A Bell 407 helicopter will be stationed at the Knoxville airport to better serve areas south and east of Des Moines. Communities that will benefit from the second helicopter include: Knoxville, Pella, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Albia, Centerville, Chariton, Corydon and Bloomfield.

In 2009, Mercy One received 1,320 requests for transport, of those 433 came from the southeast Iowa corridor. Mercy One made 714 actual flights in 2009, with 264 of those coming from southeast Iowa.