Jackson County residents and those living throughout the surrounding region now have
another lifesaving resource close to home with a new AirHeart medical helicopter
stationed at the Marianna Municipal Airport.
The new aircraft will serve as AirHeart 2 and remain available around the clock to
transport critically ill and injured patients to trauma centers, stroke centers and other
specialty medical facilities.
Billy Shaynak, clinical base lead for AirHeart 2 in Marianna, said the aircraft is new and
equipped with enhanced avionics.
“We’re excited to have a new piece of equipment that’s going to be available 24/7 to
serve the citizens of Jackson County and surrounding areas,” Shaynak said.
While AirHeart 2 is based in Marianna, its service will not stop at the Jackson County
line.
“We will serve any surrounding county that we can access,” Shaynak said. “We’re here
for all the citizens.”
The helicopter’s location is particularly important in a rural area where patients may be
an hour or more away from major trauma, stroke and specialty care centers.
Jackson County Deputy Fire Chief and Emergency Manager Keith Maddox said
Jackson Hospital provides excellent local care, but some patients require highly
specialized treatment that is only available outside the county.
“We’re a relatively rural county, and so we’re about an hour away from major trauma
centers and stroke centers and specialty centers,” Maddox said. “Having our partners
being able to come in and evacuate our local citizens is absolutely paramount.”
Air medical support also helps when Jackson County’s ground ambulances are
responding to other emergencies. A steady volume of 911 calls can place heavy
demands on the county’s emergency medical system, making partnerships with flight
crews especially valuable when a critically ill patient must be moved quickly.
“It’s one cog in the machine to help us provide excellent health care to our community,”
Maddox said.
That machine has earned statewide recognition. Jackson County Fire Rescue was
honored as Florida’s Rural EMS Provider of the Year earlier this year, recognizing the
department’s commitment to providing quality emergency care in a rural county.
Maddox brings more than 33 years of experience in emergency medical services and
remembers when air transport was rarely available locally.
“There was a time when we didn’t have aircraft to support us,” he said. “It was once in a
blue moon you might get a military aircraft to help you.”
The growth of civilian air medical services changed that. Maddox said flight teams now
give rural emergency responders the ability to move critical patients to the appropriate
level of care quickly, improving the chances of saving lives.
“There’s not a week that goes by, and in a lot of cases not a day that goes by, where it
literally comes into play and helps the system out,” he said.
Shaynak said maintaining the latest training, medical equipment and aviation
technology is an important part of providing that care.
“You need to constantly be an innovator in the field that you’re in,” he said. “Whether it
be advanced training, advanced medical equipment or advanced aviation equipment, at
Air Methods we’re the industry leader in aviation and air medical services.”
With the new AirHeart 2 helicopter stationed in Marianna, emergency crews have a
modern aircraft and trained flight team positioned nearby when minutes matter most.