Rocky Mountain House Health Centre heliport temporarily closed for upgrades

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE — The heliport at Rocky Mountain House Health Centre will be temporarily closed to allow for preventative maintenance work to ensure the safety and longevity of the landing pad.

Starting May 8, all STARS helicopters will land at the Rocky Mountain House airport. Ground ambulances will be used to transport patients to and from the health centre and airport.

This is common practice in other communities across the province. It is a safe option.

The heliport is expected to re-open on May 11, 2018.

Maintenance work to the heliport will include repairs to some cracks that have emerged in the cement on the heliport ramp, and preventative work to address moisture issues underneath the landing pad to prevent future damages.

Work on the heliport will not impact any staff or public parking or access to entrances.

The heliport officially opened in August 2017 following extensive upgrades to accommodate larger AW139 STARS helicopters, enabling them to land right at the hospital as opposed to at the municipal airport. The AW139 medically-equipped helicopters can provide an advanced level of medivac care to a wider area.

These helicopters have a larger medical interior with the ability to accommodate more than one patient at a time, more powerful lift capacity, and can fly better in adverse weather conditions where ground ambulance and longer transport times would have been required in the past.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

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