STAT MedEvac is a service of the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The primary function of STAT MedEvac is to provide emergency medevac and air medical transport of critically wounded or sick civilians, either from emergency scenes or between hospitals. As of July of 2017, the organization also operates two ground ambulances for patients with severe injury or critical illness. STAT MedEvac is directed by a consortium of hospitals of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) that include UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC Altoona, UPMC Hamot, UPMC Mercy and UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside. STAT MedEvac's base of operations is in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, at the Allegheny County Airport. With 18 air bases across Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and the District of Columbia, it is one of the largest single operated and dispatched air-medical service organizations in the United States.
History
1984STAT MedEvac completes their first transport. 1994 Opens two helicopter bases, bringing the total number to five, and began using IFR. 1999Opened a base in Cleveland, Ohio, in partnership with University Hospitals, bringing total number of helicopter bases to eight. 2000Opened bases in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland. 2001Opened STAT MedEvac 11 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, at the Altoona Hospital. 2002Opened another base in Lorain, Ohio, in partnership with University Hospitals. University STAT 8 crashes on takeoff from University Hospital, killing the pilot and flight nurse. The flight medic survives. 2003Opened three more helicopter bases: York, PA. Youngstown, OH, Kittanning, PA. Also began operating the existing flight program based at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA. 2004STAT MedEvac operations in Cleveland and Ohio are transferred to University Hospitals (STAT 8 and 12). 2005Opens new base in New Philadelphia, OH. Designated "MedEvac 8" as the former Medevac 8 base was no longer operated by STAT MedEvac. Opens new base in Hagerstown, Maryland, designated as "STAT MedEvac 12." 2006Opens new base in Dansville, NY. This base was closed later that year after approximately 8 months. STAT 8 in New Philadelphia, OH was closed simultaneously. New base opened in Washington, DC in partnership with Children's National Medical Center. STAT MedEvac is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. 2007 STAT MedEvac opens STAT 18 at the Children's National Medical Center. Dubbed "SkyBear". 2010 STAT MedEvac becomes the Air Operations Vendor for Lifestar, based in Harborcreek, PA. Lifestar, a division of EmergyCare, Inc., provides the medical crew and STAT MedEvac provides the pilot and Direct Air Carrier services. Medical crew operate under the STAT MedEvac protocols and receive Medical Command through STATComm. 2017 Added two ground units dubbed STAT Medevac 53 and 54 to aid in the transport of critical patients after PA Department of Health expands protocols to allow licensure of critical care ground units. 2018 Added two more ground units, as well as a neonatal critical care ambulance and neonate critical care team in conjunction with UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and UPMC Prehospital Services. 2019 Added 3 new Airbus H135's to the fleet. First H135's in the United States to be equipped with Helinox Avionics.
Aircraft
STAT MedEvac uses two types of helicopters for patient transport, the Eurocopter EC 135, and the EC-145. Their fleet has included the MBB Bo 105, Eurocopter AS-355 F2 Twinstar and AS-365 N3 Dauphin, the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 and the Bell 430 (N430Q, which set an around-the-world speed record in 1996).
STAT MedEvac is a Direct Air Carrier E3MA774L and arranges and coordinates the operation of air ambulance services. All flights are operated by STAT MedEvac.