Alberta Health Services & STARS

Alberta Health Services & STARS

Alberta Health Services air ambulance operations moved to a new 3,600 square-metre hangar in 2013 at the Edmonton International Airport, immediately adjacent to the new STARS emergency air ambulance facilities. One of the primary services is to continue to offer patients living in northern Alberta access to rapid, reliable and safe emergency care.

The Edmonton International Airport was chosen because it’s the safest and most reliable option for patients being flown to Edmonton, due to its advanced infrastructure, proximity to major hospitals and the ability to land and take off in bad weather.

About 3,000 patients are flown to Edmonton each year via medevac services. According to the HQCA, about 80 per cent of those are less urgent arriving for scheduled procedures, appointments, or for admission to a higher level of care, not for emergencies; about seven per cent of patients are flown to Edmonton for urgent access to critical care.