NORTH PLATTE, NE, Sept. 16, 2024 – For the last decade, LifeNet of the Heartland has served North Platte and the surrounding area with lifesaving care. In recognition of that milestone, the community joined the crew on Saturday night to celebrate.

The celebration was held at Pals Brewing Company following the annual Flat Rock EMS Conference where local EMS and hospital partners were able to interact with the crew and find out more about the critical services they provide in rural Nebraska.

“We don’t have the services, the type of medical doctors or surgeons like bigger cities have,” said Area Manager Austin Lambing. “Without LifeNet, it would take those patients three or four hours to get to care. When transporting by air, we can get them to that crucial care in a fraction of the time.”

Also known in the area as Great Plains Air, LifeNet offers comprehensive critical care across all ages, from infants to seniors, encompassing cardiac, trauma, high-risk obstetrics, and various other serious medical conditions. Our specialized team can accommodate requests for intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) and Impella cardiac devices, as well as administer warm, humidified oxygen to address specific pulmonary complications necessitating advanced mechanical ventilation support.

“While it’s easy to talk about what we provide, we would not be here today without the support of the community,” said Flight Nurse Keah Cross. “We are proud that North Platte and the surrounding communities trust us to provide critical care in their time of need.”

In addition to North Platte’s 10^th anniversary, the Life Net of the Heartland’s base in Omaha recently celebrated the program’s 45^th anniversary. Originally known as Life Flight, the program was founded in 1979 by Creighton University Medical Center as the ninth air medical program in the United States. The program merged with University of Nebraska Medical Center’s SkyMed in 1997 and in 2000, changed its name to LifeNet. Acquired by Air Methods in 2003, the program has grown to include bases in Norfolk, Columbus, Crete, Kearney, and North Platte.