The University of Mississippi Medical Center has expanded its air care services with a new plane.
Officials with the state’s largest hospital system on Thursday unveiled its new fixed-wing service, called AirCare 5. The plane is now operational and available to transport patients who need specialized care over longer distances across Mississippi and the surrounding region.
The launch follows the medical center’s May announcement that it was adding an airplane to its fleet. Based in Jackson, the Pilatus PC-12 is UMMC AirCare’s fifth aircraft and first fixed-wing one. With the expanded service, UMMC plans to work with partner hospitals to help patients in rural areas gain better access to specialized trauma, stroke, transplant, neonatal, burn, or cardiac care that can require traveling significant distances.
Guardian Flight, a subsidiary of the Global Medical Response family of air medical services, is providing UMMC with the aircraft, pilot, and aviation operations for AirCare 5. UMMC will provide medical direction and staffing support for the clinical crews on board.
“Often, we see patients who need access to a higher level of specialized care, and distance can become a real operational barrier,” said Jeremy Benson, director of the Mississippi Center for Emergency Services and program director for AirCare. “This fixed-wing asset helps us bridge that gap. It gives AirCare the ability to reach farther, support our partner hospitals more effectively, and bring patients to the right level of care in a safe, timely, and efficient manner.”
Designed to transport one patient, the Pilatus PC-12 combines longer-range, higher-speed performance with a pressurized cabin that provides space for the medical team, specialized equipment, and mission-specific supplies. Its instrument-flight capability gives the aircraft and medical team the ability to provide transport and patient care in inclement weather.
The airplane can also operate from smaller regional airports, giving AirCare more options when distance, airport access, or operating conditions make helicopter transportation less practical.
AirCare 5 joins helicopters based in Jackson, Meridian, Columbus, and Greenwood. Operating alongside AirCare’s Jackson helicopter base, the fixed-wing aircraft supports transfers between hospitals throughout Mississippi and the surrounding region. Officials noted that each destination is determined by the patient’s medical needs, the specialized services required, and the receiving hospital’s ability to provide that care.