It has been almost 2 years since Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) began offering air ambulance service.

Hospital leaders wanted to reduce response times for rural patients and improve the ability to get patients to appropriate caregivers. AirLife Denver - based in Aurora, Colorado provides the staff and helicopter in Cheyenne. They started operations in Cheyenne on May 9, 2012. AirLife Denver serves eight states and has operated for 30 years. CRMC contracts with HCA-HealthOne for the air ambulance service. HCA-HealthOne owns AirLife Denver.

Bob Greene, an AirLife flight nurse and its team leader for outreach, said the air ambulance covers the southern half of Wyoming including Cheyenne, Wheatland, Torrington, Rawlins and Pine Bluffs. Greene says they even cover parts of Nebraska and Northern Colorado.

Greene says the AirLife crew, based in Cheyenne, is made up of two registered nurses or one paramedic and a registered nurse. Greene estimates they respond to between 25 to 30 calls a month. He adds that sometimes the calls take them to some pretty rugged areas like the Snowy Range mountains and Vedauwoo. Greene says AirLiife will host an open house for the community on Saturday May 17 from 11a.m -2 p.m. at their facility on Evans Avenue in Cheyenne.

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