SOUTHEAT LOOKS AT PROPOSALS TO BUY ITS AIR MEDICAL SERVICE

Southeast Missouri Hospital officials are studying proposals from two air ambulance firms interested in acquiring LifeBeat, the hospital's air medical service.

Southeast Administrator James W. Wente said Air Evac and Mercy Air, a subsidiary of Air Methods, both approached the hospital with the concept of developing a regional, community-based air ambulance network.

"We felt the idea had merit," Wente said.

Representatives from both air ambulance firms presented proposals for the affiliation of their services and LifeBeat at a Tuesday meeting with the executive committee of the hospital's board of trustees and administration, Wente said.

"With the trend toward the regionalization of health care, we feel a community-based ambulance service, rather than the hospital-based service we have now, would give us the opportunity to expand and grow," Wente said.

He also said the committee is looking at the cost factor of affiliating with one of the two air ambulance firms.

"We are always trying to do things more cost-effectively," Wente said.

Wente said there are many details still to be worked out in the deal involving LifeBeat, which annually responds to more than 1,000 requests for service in a 125-mile radius of Cape Girardeau.

It is possible a community-based program might involve St. Francis Medical Center, which operates an air ambulance service through a contract with Air Evac.

"That's still to be determined but that would be great," Wente said.

St. Francis administrators who could answer questions about such a program were out of town on Tuesday.

Southeast now owns the LifeBeat helicopter and other equipment. "The affiliation could include the sale of LifeBeat assets," Wente said.

Southeast contracts with St. Louis Helicopter Airways to provide pilots for LifeBeat. Wente said deciding what to do with that contract is one of the details still to be worked out.

"Since LifeBeat was inaugurated in 1987, our responsibility to the community and the region has been to provide the best care possible," Wente said. The continuation of that responsibility, a commitment to high standards and maintaining the integrity of the present LifeBeat flight team have been key discussion points, he said.

The LifeBeat team includes a program director, medical director, eight flight nurses, six paramedics, six communication specialists, four pilots and one mechanic.

A decision on which air ambulance company Southeast will affiliate with to develop a regional air ambulance network is expected to be made later this month, Wente said.