UW Health Emergency Chopper To Be Stationed In Southwestern Wisconsin

Come spring, University of Wisconsin Health in Madison plans to move one of its Med Flight helicopters to Iowa County in order to improve response times in southwestern Wisconsin.

By flying out of Iowa County Airport near Mineral Point, Med Flight will be closer to emergencies in the area, cutting travel times by approximately 20 minutes. The decision to move the helicopter came after a year-long review of emergency operations, according to Frank Erdman, the manager of critical care transport for UW Health.

“Helicopter transport is something that’s reserved for the most critically ill and injured patients, and so all of those patients benefit by getting to the care they need in the quickest possible fashion,” said Erdman.

Erdman said the satellite site in Iowa County will have the same medical staff, protocols, communication and patient care equipment as the Med Flight’s primary base in Madison.

Erdman said that during the 31 years that Med Flight has operated, the air ambulance has transported more than 25,000 people to Madison hospitals, including UW Hospital and Clinics, American Family Children’s Hospital, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Meriter Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital.