(STEVENS POINT, WI)–Ascension Wisconsin and Ministry SPIRIT Medical Transportation Services (SPIRIT) have relocated the Marshfield based operations of the regions first medical transportation system to the Stevens Point Airport.
The relocation was completed in June and includes the SPIRIT Air I Helicopter and flight crew members as well as ground units providing inter-facility transports and paramedic intercept services in the region.
“After review and research of our transport volumes, location of transports as well as patient needs, we determined that relocating our ground and air equipment to Stevens Point along the I-39/US 51 corridor will better meet the needs of our patients and communities we serve,” said Stewart Watson, M.D., chief medical officer, North Region, Ascension Wisconsin.
Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza joined Ascension and community leaders and Ambassadors of the Portage County Business Council for a ribbon cutting and blessing of the SPIRIT hanger at the Stevens Point Airport on Wednesday, July 12.
“This is exciting for the City and our airport as SPIRIT offers a lifesaving service that is a tremendous asset to our community and the entire region,” said Wiza. “For more than 100 years, Stevens Point has benefited from the services provided by Ministry Health Care and Ascension and the relocation of this service to our community will make our already exceptional emergency medical system even stronger.”
For over twenty years, SPIRIT, part of Ascension has provided critical care transport for patients and communities throughout central and northern Wisconsin. Today it serves central and northern Wisconsin and beyond with 5 ground bases and 12 ambulances located strategically in key communities and two helicopters located in Woodruff and now Stevens Point.
Throughout its history, SPIRIT has regularly reviewed services, equipment and placement to provide the fastest and easiest access for patients. Just a few years ago, for example, SPIRIT Air II, the helicopter based in Rhinelander, was moved to a base at Howard Young Medical Center, Woodruff.
SPIRIT annually provides approximately 3,500 ground transfers, 550 air transports and 650 paramedic intercepts across the system.
“This is a strategic move to better allocate our resources closer to where patients who need medical transport are coming from,” said Watson. “We will continue to offer the same level of service from our new location to the entire region including full transport services to Marshfield Clinic patients and NICU transfers.”
SPIRIT holds the medical transport industry’s most respected and highest level of accreditation from The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). This accreditation is a reflection of Ministry Spirit Medical Transportation’s commitment and focus on quality, patient care, and safety during medical transport.
Currently there are only 183 critical care transport services world?wide that have achieved CAMTS accreditation.
