News & Events

North Memorial Air Care Opens New Flight Base in Bemidji, Minn.

(Robbinsdale, Minn. – Oct 15, 2007)—North Memorial Air Care announces expansion of its services with the opening of a new flight base in Bemidji, Minn, the organization’s fifth flight base location. The Bemidji location will improve access to emergency medical transportation for residents in northern Minnesota. North Memorial Air Care is operating from the Bemidji Regional Airport with a helicopter and medical flight crew available 24-hours-a-day, 365 days a year.

Pat Coyne, director of North Memorial Air Care, explains the need for emergency medical transportation in this region. "The volume of emergency air ambulance requests in northern Minnesota continues to increase each year," says Coyne. "With a flight base in Bemidji, we can reach patients throughout the entire region even faster, which is crucial to saving lives."

North Memorial has been working with local first responders, area hospitals, and police and fire representatives in the Bemidji region to provide training and education. The Bemidji base started 12 hour-a-day operations on September 24. The site began 24-hour operations on Monday, October 8.

North Memorial Air Care transports patients to any appropriate care facility. In 2006, North Memorial Air Care responded to more than 2,000 calls and transported patients to 39 different hospitals throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa.

Air Care helicopters are the fastest available for civilian use and reach speeds up to 180 mph. Response time and rapid treatment have always been important to trauma patients, and revolutionary changes in cardiac care require immediate patient transport and emergency care as well.

In addition to the flight base in Bemidji, North Memorial also operates Air Care bases in Brainerd, Princeton, Redwood Falls and Lakeville (Twin Cities).

About North Memorial Air Care

North Memorial Air Care offers 24-hour air medical transportation services, with crews based in Bemidji, Brainerd, Princeton, Redwood Falls and Lakeville. Depending on weather conditions and terrain, Air Care crews can respond directly to the scene of an emergency. North Memorial Air Care is affiliated with North Memorial Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center in the Twin Cities, but transports patients to and from any appropriate facility.

###