Serving the Denver Metro and the Greater Rocky Mountain Region since 1983
HCA HealthONE AirLife made its maiden flight on May 9, 1983 to Durango, Colorado in a Bell 206 Long Ranger helicopter. In its first year of service, 207 missions were completed.
The following year, 1984, was also a significant year as a second helicopter and a plane were added to the service. The high-risk OB team was started and the HCA HealthONE AirLife communications center began operations. The first Double "Chopper Go" occurred on July 4, 1984 in response to a motor vehicle accident.
In 1985, HCA HealthONE AirLife flew its first international mission to Mexico to transport a Denver native with congestive heart failure back home. By 1986, 2,000 missions had been completed.
Expanding services and regional coverage
In 1989, the Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump team was established. The neonatal team was added in 1991 and pediatric transport services were enhanced in 1992. In 1997, two new Bell 407 helicopters were put into service. In May of 2012 our Cheyenne, WY base was opened at the Cheyenne Medical Center, subsequently closing in 2020. In 2015, our Hugo, CO helicopter base, located at Lincoln Community Hospital, was opened. In 2018, HCA HealthONE AirLife opened another Eastern, CO base at Melissa Memorial Hospital in Holyoke, CO, solidifying our Air Medical support of the Eastern Plains. Both of these rural bases are still in 24/7 operation as of 2023. HCA HealthONE AirLife’s most recent base at HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge in Thornton, CO began continuous services in April 2023.
With the addition of a second rural base, we also added a dedicated spare helicopter to help support our maintenance team and service area. In August 2018, HCA HealthONE AirLife became the first air medical program to upgrade its standard Bell 407 helicopters with the Eagle 407 HP engine conversion adding significant power and safety performance to our hot and high-altitude climate. We currently operate the EagleHP in all bases except Holyoke, CO, which typically operates at a lower altitude and utilizes a 407 with an upgraded VIP engine.
Since 1983, HCA HealthONE AirLife has completed more than 65,000 transports, and as of 2023, has reached 40 years of excellent medical transport service to the Rocky Mountains and surrounding regions.
We serve Colorado and surrounding states. Helicopter transports achieve a 150-mile radius from our various bases while fixed-wing aircraft enable our crews to transport up to 500 miles.
Air ambulance licensure is maintained in Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas. With more than 3,000 transports a year, HCA HealthONE AirLife is one of the largest and busiest air medical programs in the region providing emergency air and ground transport 24 hours a day.
A new era begins with HCA HealthONE AirLife EMS
In August 2024, HCA HealthONE acquired Northglenn Ambulance, a longtime partner of HCA HealthONE AirLife for ground transport. With 19 ambulances in three bases across metro Denver, this investment in prehospital care and transport is the first of its kind for an HCA Healthcare facility.
Having served patients, hospitals and emergency medical service agencies for more than 61 years, now as HCA HealthONE AirLife EMS, we will continue this legacy of caring, expanding and enhancing our transport network across the region.
HCA HealthONE AirLife currently has operational bases throughout the greater Denver, Colorado region at HCA HealthONE Swedish in Englewood, HCA HealthONE Sky Ridge in Lone Tree, HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge in Thornton, and serves the Eastern Plains of Colorado from Lincoln Community Hospital in Hugo and Melissa Memorial Medical Center in Holyoke. HCA HealthONE AirLife also operates a fixed-wing hangar at the Centennial Airport in Centennial, CO allowing greater access to the Western US region.