Helipad will have key role in fast trauma care

The big red “H” high atop a hospital is the universal signal to an air transport helicopter pilot that a trauma center is in the facility just below. And the new helipad that will be marked and opened on the very top of the Wilson Main Tower in Spring 2024 will bring a new dimension to trauma care in the Southern Tier.

“The new helipad will replace the current one on the UHS Wilson Medical Center campus, with the new location expected to shorten transport-to-treatment time for patients by up to nine minutes,” said Michelle Karedes, senior director of Strategic Facility Planning.

While helicopter actions are fast now, they will be even quicker when the new Emergency Department opens on the first level of the tower. Patients coming in by helicopter will be moved from the roof to the ED via a dedicated elevator. 

“Helicopter transports of patients account for a significant number of patient care episodes in today’s hospitals and medical centers,” said Scott Gurney, program manager for Emergency Medical Services and Life Flight Operations at UHS Hospitals. “At UHS Wilson, for example, the current helipad sees between 125 and 150 flights a year, inbound and outbound.”  

Most use of the helipad is by LifeNet 7-8 helicopters, operated by the Air Methods company.

Some patients are brought to the hospital for care as the result of a traumatic injury or illness, often from remote areas or other environments and circumstances where an ambulance transport isn’t feasible. Many hospital-to-hospital transports occur as well.

The original helipad at UHS Wilson opened in 1991.

Also at UHS, both UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital in Chenango County and UHS Delaware Valley Hospital in Delaware County have ground-level heliports.

When completed, the Wilson Main Tower will cover 183,375 square feet and serve as the centerpiece of the Wilson Project and the new “front door” to UHS services. In addition to the new helipad and ED, it will feature a new MRI suite and 120 private patient rooms. Learn about the full project here. UHS Hospitals is a New York State-designated Level 2 regional adult trauma center, the only one in Broome County.