Valley Med Flight, a provider of air medical services in the upper midwest US, will now operate as Guardian Flight. The title matches that of Valley Med Flight's parent company, Guardian Flight, and reflects the organisation's operations, service and expertise.

“We are excited to announce our rebranding efforts for all nine Valley Med Flight bases in Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan,” says Vicky Spediacci, COO for Global Medical Response, the parent company of Guardian Flight. “Valley Med Flight has been a valued brand since 2011, but this transition will unify our teams and operations under the Guardian Flight name and allow us to continue our mission of saving lives and caring for the communities we serve, but as one.”

Robert Miller, regional director for Guardian Flight, adds: “We look forward to continuing to provide high-quality care and service to our communities under our new name Guardian Flight.”

The nine air medical bases are staffed by flight crews consisting of highly trained and experienced pilots, clinicians, and aviation maintenance technicians. The fleet is comprised of Pilatus PC-12s and Airbus AS350B3e helicopters, which are medically configured with the latest avionics and safety features. Each aircraft can transport one patient at a time, two medical crew members and one pilot.

Guardian Flight operates throughout the western United States with air medical bases located in 15 states. It is accredited by the National Accreditation Alliance Medical Transport Applications (NAAMTA), a standard-bearer for the medical transport industry. It offers procedures that include guidelines for developing a system focused on transport safety, patient care, quality management and continuous improvement.

Guardian Flight is a participating provider in the AirMedCare Network (AMCN), the largest air medical transport membership programme in the US with more than 320 air medical locations across 38 states. Members flown for a life- or limb-threatening injury or illness by an AMCN participating provider have no out-of-pocket costs for the flight. Whatever the member's insurance, or third-party insurance, pays is considered payment in full.