Memorial Star Transport receives accreditation

Memorial Health System's medical transport program, called Memorial Star Transport, has become certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. Colorado now requires medical transport systems to be accredited to be in compliance with nationally established industry standards, said Chris Valentine, spokesman for city-owned Memorial.

"We're proud we got this seal of approval the first time around," he said.

A three-day site visit and review of operations and documentation were conducted on the program, which consists of helicopter services, a critical-care ground ambulance and a fixed-wing plane. The medical transport team is based out of Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs and is available 24/7 within a 150 mile radius.

The helicopter is equipped with life saving equipment for all adult medical trauma, high-risk obstetric patients and pediatric and neonatal patients. It travels at an average speed of 150 miles per hour.