SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – On Dec. 31, Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff partnered with Chadron Community Hospital to start providing patient transports out of Chadron. The contract was agreed upon by the two organizations to provide faster patient transport between hospitals.

With the new partnership, Regional West provides an ambulance and Advanced Life Support crew at Chadron Community Hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Our goal in doing this is to speed up the transportation process. Our patients will arrive at the next level of care sooner,” said Harold Krueger, CEO of Chadron Community Hospital. “This will improve our quality of care.”

Stepping in to help Chadron Community Hospital with patient transportation fits with Regional West’s mission as the region’s only Level II Trauma Center.

Regional West has provided personnel, training, and other resources for regional emergency and trauma care since 1995, when the hospital contracted with Med Trans to offer Air Link air ambulance service while helping establish the regional trauma and communication network. In 2002, Regional West established an ambulance service in Sidney to fill a need for local ground Advanced Life Support transports. In 2014, Regional West assumed management of the Garden County ambulance service, and in 2015, partnered with the City of Ogallala to support their ambulance service and provide hospital-to-hospital Advanced Life Support transports.

“Our main purpose of these agreements is to enhance patient care,” said Randy Meininger, manager of Emergency Response Care. “If a patient needs a higher level of care, we will be able to provide patient transportation services much more effectively. The ambulance and Advanced Life Support team will already be available and ready to go.”

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 182-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. The trauma program includes Air Link air ambulance service, which is fully accredited by The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 providers, and over 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.