Serving the Community: Guardian Flight to Open New Base in Winner

12.28.2021

The new operation will provide lifesaving care to residents in emergency situations in Winner, South Dakota

Guardian Flight today announced its plans to open a new emergency air medical transport base in Winner, South Dakota, in early 2022. The new base will provide air medical transport services 24-hours a day, seven days a week to the communities of Tripp County and the surrounding regions.

“The opening of our Winner base is another reminder of Guardian Flight’s continued mission to provide care to the world at a moment’s notice,” said Robert Miller, Regional Director for Guardian Flight. “We look forward to strengthening our service in South Dakota and Tripp County by providing another vital air medical resource to the community and providing local hospitals and EMS agencies with a dependable partner in patient care.”

The Winner base will be staffed by highly trained and experienced pilots, flight nurses, and flight paramedics. The aircraft will also be maintained by on-site aviation maintenance technicians. The Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, located in Winner, is medically configured with the latest avionics and safety features. The fixed wing can travel at speeds upward of 300 miles per hour and is capable of long-distance transports, boasting a range of more than 1,700 miles. This will be the second fixed-wing base operated by Guardian Flight in South Dakota. The company has another air medical base located in Rosebud.

“Having an aircraft based in Winner will save valuable time to transport critical care patients to a facility that offers services not available in our rural healthcare setting,” said Julie Hennebold, Utilization Review and Discharge Coordinator for Winner Regional Health. “Transfer time for these patients is of the essence. The aircraft will add another great resource to our outstanding Winner Regional team for quality care.”

Miller also shared that the warm welcome from the community has been overwhelming for the crew members of the new base and that they look forward to serving the residents of Tripp County.

Guardian Flight is a participating provider in the AirMedCare Network (AMCN), the nation’s largest air medical transport membership program with more than 320 air medical locations across 38 states. Members flown for 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. Annual memberships start at $65.