Airlift Northwest opens in Pasco
By Terry Murry on Friday, October 22nd, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PASCO – Airlift Northwest, the not-for-profit air medical transport service of UW Medicine, has opened a new base at Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco to serve communities in Central and Eastern Washington.
Using a Swiss-engineered Pilatus PC-12 turboprop airplane, Airlift Northwest can cover a range of 1,000 miles and maneuver in adverse weather conditions on either side of the Cascades. Staffed by two critical care nurses, the aircraft can hold patients up to 450 pounds and land on smaller runways in rural communities.
“The updated interior and avionics make it an ideal aircraft for transporting critically ill or injured patients,” Aries Gum, a flight nurse and base manager for Airlift Northwest, said. “It is a flying ICU that can quickly and safely get patients where they need to go for comprehensive care while also caring for them in flight.”
Medical Director Dr. Rich Utarnachitt said that Airlift Northwest is the only air medical transport service in the region that has two units of blood and plasma on every flight, which increases survival rates.
