OKLAHOMA CITY — Officials at Air Methods Corp. said they have shut down four medical helicopter bases in Oklahoma due to financial burdens.
The Oklahoman reported Air Methods officials confirmed Monday that after analyzing operations, the Englewood-based company closed the MediFlight bases in Chickasha, Seminole, Keefeton and the base at Riverside Airport in south Tulsa.
Air Methods spokesman Doug Flanders says employees at the four bases were informed Sunday of the decision. The closure affects up to 15 employees on each base.
Air Methods plans to continue serving the coverage areas, but only for transporting newborns in the Chickasha, Grady County area. Other local area patients will have to use alternative medical flight providers.
The company’s website says it operates in 48 states from more than 300 bases.
It cited the transportation costs as the reason for the closures. Its around-the-clock readiness costs nearly $3 million per year for each base, according to Air Methods. Repayment for services has not kept pace with their expenses.