Associated Press Published

Officials Plan Medical Helicopter Base in Marshall County

Marshall County

A medical helicopter base is planned this year in Marshall County to serve area patients.

The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register reports officials made the announcement Thursday.

West Virginia University Health System president and CEO Albert Wright says a HealthNet Aeromedical Services team and helicopter will be operating in the county by July 1.

It’ll serve WVU Medicine Reynolds Memorial Hospital. Currently, medical helicopters travel from Morgantown to transport patients from Reynolds to Ruby Memorial Hospital.

Wright says it’ll also serve patients the Wheeling area, eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania and Parkersburg’s Camden Clark Medical Center.

HealthNet Aeromedical Services president and CEO Clinton Burley says the firm’s in negotiations to house its helicopter at the county airport. He says it takes 18 minutes to transport a patient by helicopter from Glen Dale to Morgantown.