Features Commercial EMS
STARS opens new helipad at QEII

The new heliport will reduce patient transfer time significantly and allow STARS to transport patients from a scene to doors of emergency at the QEII.

Jan. 8, 2008, Grande Prairie, Alta. – STARS officially opened the Peace Country
Health helipad at the QEII Regional Hospital in Grande Prairie, Alberta on Dec. 7,
and saw its first use ten minutes prior to opening with a patient from a motor vehicle
collision transported to the QEII Hospital.

The helipad is a regional partnership coordinated by Peace Country Health and STARS,
and will aid with faster, site-to-site transportation for patients.

The STARS (Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society) Grande Prairie base
celebrated their first year of operations in November. The base opened on
November 1, 2006 joining the emergency services community to provide
dedicated helicopter air ambulance service to the critically ill and
injured. The addition of the Grande Prairie base also increased STARS
coverage to 94 per cent of Alberta’s population as well as Eastern British
Columbia.

Since last year, STARS has flown over 116 missions in Peace Country
including 42 inter-facility transfers of critically ill patients, 71 scene
calls related to trauma for industry patients, accidents and motor vehicle
collisions and participated in three search and rescue efforts.

PHOTO: 1stmissionatheliport.bmp
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