SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Regional West Medical Center’s Air Link air ambulance, a rotor wing transport service, was awarded a full three-year accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems on July 31. The commission (CAMTS) is a nationally recognized organization that ensures that medical transport programs meet national standards for safety, education, and training.

Air Link is one of two CAMTS-accredited medical transport programs in Nebraska. It has been accredited since 2001. Nationwide, 154 programs have earned CAMTS accreditation.

Patient care and safety are Air Link’s top priorities. The team holds monthly safety meetings that include not only pilots, but mechanics, flight crew, Air Link management, the medical director, security, and facilities. In addition to flight critiques, meetings include educational topics that pertain to safety, such as the use of night vision goggles and reviewing case scenarios.

Since November 1995, Air Link has provided highly skilled flight nurse/paramedic teams to care for adult and pediatric patients. The program operates throughout a 150-mile radius that spans western Nebraska, eastern Wyoming, southern South Dakota, and northern Colorado.

Air Link has a Bell 407 helicopter, which is operated and maintained by Med-Trans Corporation.

Regional West Health Services, with over 1,800 employees, provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, Regional West offers care that spans more than 30 medical specialties. Regional West Medical Center, a subsidiary of Regional West Health Services, is accredited by The Joint Commission and is one of three Level II Trauma Centers in Nebraska.