HUNTINGTON — HealthNet, the only statewide hospital-based air medical service in the United States, is invaluable to the region it serves, Tom Adams said.

“We can’t count the number of lives that have been saved due to HealthNet’s level of care and quick transfer to trauma centers,” he said.

Adams, director of Boyd County EMS, said accident victims in critical condition have just a short period of time to make to a surgeon.

“We call it the ‘Golden Hour,’” he said. “A person has a much greater chance of survival if they can make it to a surgeon in a trauma center within an hour of their accident.”

The 20th anniversary of HealthNet Aeromedical Service, a nonprofit organization formed in 1986, was recognized with a ceremony on Friday at the helipad at Cabell Huntington Hospital.

“The whole purpose of HealthNet is to provide access to rapid transportation to critically injured people in rural areas,” said Clinton Burly, manager of the hospital’s pre-services.

“Since it’s inception, HealthNet has completed more than 45,000 patient missions in Appalachia with a perfect safety record,” Burly said. “I think that is indicative of how we operate. It’s a very structured program.”

HealthNet, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, operates four helicopter bases throughout West Virginia. Its sponsor hospitals are Cabell Huntington, Charleston Area Medical Center and West Virginia University Hospitals in Morgantown and at the Mercer County Airport in Bluefield.

Helicopters at the bases serve not only West Virginia and significant portions of Kentucky and Ohio, but also Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Burly said the strategic locations of the bases improve HealthNet’s operational capabilities by reducing response time to emergencies. A new base should be up and running in Portsmouth by September.

A ride for a patient in a HealthNet helicopter is $5,061. A per mile fee is also applied, which is $51.24. The billing process is similar to if the patient had been transferred via ambulance.

“By the time (an ambulance) reaches an accident, cuts a person out of the vehicle and gets them to a trauma center, their time is up,” Adams said. “Whereas, HealthNet can get a patient to a trauma center at St. Mary’s or Cabell Huntington in 5 to 10 minutes.”

Burly said a patient’s ability to pay for the flight and the services received during the flight are not at all taken into consideration.

“This is a very expensive program to operate,” he said. “A helicopter alone can cost $3 million. Still, there is no financial screening for a patient.

“If a patient cannot pay, we have a charity system set up that will work with them. And insurance companies are usually good about working with us as well.”

Although HealthNet has a fairly large service area, Adams said hundreds have been impacted in Boyd County alone.

“We use them weekly — sometimes daily,” he said. “On a slow month, we might use them five or six times. If we’re taking you to a trauma center, our preference is to get you there by helicopter.

“I think people need to know that (HealthNet) has served us well for 20 years. A service is only as strong as its weakest link; if you take them out of the system you have damaged the system’s ability to be effective,” Adams continued.

“If HealthNet was not able to intervene, many people in this area would have been dead or disabled for life.”

SARAH LYNCH can be reached at slynch@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2650.