LifeNet leaves Rosecrans, search for new helicopter EMS starts

Clayton Anderson, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
·2 min read

Sep. 9—With LifeNet helicopter EMS services no longer operating at Rosecrans Airport, the area is left with a void in air transportation that could pose challenges in critical medical situations.

Rosecrans General Manager Abe Forney said LifeNet was a great tenant at the airport and was always accommodating, and that he hopes an airport is an attractive option for another air transport company.

"I think that's kind of my job, to try and help Rosecrans and get some of those other businesses that do life flight services and get them to think about coming to St. Joseph," Forney said.

Currently, there are no helicopter EMS services in St. Joseph, and Buchanan County EMS will use services in Clarinda, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri; or Chillicothe, Missouri.

Air Methods, the parent company of LifeNet, announced that the new "No Surprise Act," which requires providers to have upfront billing, made services in places such as St. Joseph not financially feasible.

Buchanan County EMS Operations Manager Steve Groshong said air transport operations will be slower.

"We're going to wait longer for the helicopter, and it kind of remains to be seen what those times are going to be. It looks to me like they're going to be probably 15 minutes longer, maybe 20 (more) than we're used to waiting," Groshong said.

Groshong said the real impact will be in the rural areas and for people who need especially fast care, such as burn situations.

"The reason we would call is a prolonged extrication ... if we're within 20 minutes of the hospital, that doesn't make a lot of sense to use a helicopter, but if we're down, you know, 35 minutes away and in the corner of the county, we have a long extrication then it starts to make sense to put a helicopter in the air and bring them to the scene," Groshong said.

Forney said Rosecrans provides a good location option with updates to the terminal and tower incoming.

Clayton Anderson can be reached at clayton.anderson@newspressnow.com. Follow him on twitter: @NPNowAnderson.