HD14 - Review of Air Medevac Services in Virginia


Executive Summary:
Air medical evacuation (medevac) services play an important role in the spectrum of emergency medical care. The key advantage of the providers of these services is that they quickly deliver a high level of medical care to the site of an accident or medical emergency, and rapidly transport seriously ill and injured patients to higher levels of medical care. In addition, in many accident situations, the medevac crew provides the highest level of medical care on site.

More that 3,700 air medevac missions were flown in Virginia during 1998. The seven air medevac programs based in Virginia flew 90 percent of these missions. Three of the Virginia providers are operated by police agencies and four are affiliated with major hospitals. Five out-of-state air medevac providers also respond to calls in Virginia.

Item 16.I. of the 1998 Appropriations Act directed the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study the air medevac system in Virginia. The study was prompted by concerns about the adequacy of funding for air medevac providers and about continued availability of the service statewide.