HealthNet celebrates 40 years of service

 

Huntington, W.Va. – HealthNet Aeromedical Services, in partnership with Marshall Health Network and Air Methods Corporation, celebrated its 40th anniversary and dedicated a new state-of-the-art medical helicopter during a special ceremony at Huntington Tri-State Airport.

 

 

The organization will serve the will serve the Southern West Virginia hospital region from its Base 3 location at Marshall Health Network’s Cabell Huntington Hospital with the new Airbus H135 helicopter, significantly upgrading the area’s air medical transport capabilities. The brand-new aircraft replaces the current Huntington-based aircraft, which has left the system’s fleet.

 

Known for its speed, safety and versatility, the Airbus H135 is a modern workhorse of the air medical industry. The H135’s advanced features include:

 

 

• • Helionix® Avionics Suite: This advanced system reduces pilot workload, enhances situational awareness, and improves flight safety with a user-friendly interface. A key benefit of the Helionix® management technology system is the ability to hover the aircraft at a specific point with zero control input from the pilot, which is especially critical across the mountainous terrain found in the Central Appalachian region.

• • Single-Pilot Instrument Flight Rules (IFR): This capability allows the aircraft to operate in a wider range of weather conditions, increasing HealthNet Aeromedical Services’ reliability and mission flexibility.  This is a first for the Huntington base.

• 
  
  • Enhanced Safety Features: The H135’s design and technology are engineered to further protect both the flight crew and patients.

“For 40 years, HealthNet Aeromedical Services has been proud to serve this region with essential critical care transport, and this upgraded aircraft reflects our continued commitment to that legacy,” said HealthNet Aeromedical Services president and CEO Clinton Burley. “We are grateful to the greater Huntington community for its decades-long support and our lasting partnership with Marshall Health Network to deliver premier air medical transport care to the individuals and families we serve.”

 

The aircraft’s medical interior is custom designed for the unique demands of the organization’s service area. The layout ensures clinicians have the necessary tools and workspace to provide exceptional critical care in the air.

 

“This new aircraft is more than a transportation resource—it is an investment in faster access to lifesaving care,” said Scott Raynes, president and CEO of Marshall Health Network. “Together with HealthNet, we are helping connect patients across our region to advanced care when every minute matters. This partnership strengthens access for rural communities and demonstrates what is possible when organizations work together to improve health and save lives.”

 

Air Methods Corporation, which oversees the organization’s aircraft operation, has provided extensive education and hands-on training to the organization’s pilots in preparation for the new helicopter’s arrival and subsequent in-service status.

 

“Congratulations to HealthNet on this significant milestone anniversary. In our work together, safety and reliability are at the core of everything we do, and this aircraft represents the very best in aviation technology to support those priorities,” said Air Methods CEO Rob Hamilton. “By equipping our pilots with advanced training and our crews with the tools they need, we’re ensuring patients throughout the Tri-State region and beyond have access to the highest level of critical care when it matters most.”

 

This is the fifth and final brand-new aircraft the program has incorporated into its fleet in the past eight months. With this addition, the program’s entire fleet of ten helicopters is now solely twin-engine, instrument flight capable aircraft, reinforcing its shared commitment to providing unmatched care and safety for patients and team members.

 

About HealthNet Aeromedical Services

Headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia, HealthNet Aeromedical Services is a not-for-profit critical care transport system cooperatively owned and operated by Marshall Health Network, Vandalia Health, and WVU Medicine. From eight helicopter bases and 10 aircraft across West Virginia, the organization serves Central Appalachia with 24/7 support for scene responses, critical care transport, and interfacility transfers. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026, the program has safely transported more than 130,000 patients since beginning operation in 1986.

 

About Marshall Health Network

Marshall Health Network (MHN) is a leading academic health system dedicated to advancing health, inspiring hope and serving families across West Virginia, southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. MHN unites four hospitals—Cabell Huntington Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Hoops Family Children’s Hospital and Rivers Health—along with a comprehensive network of primary and specialty services through Marshall Health. In partnership with the Marshall University schools of medicine, nursing and pharmacy and the St. Mary’s schools of medical imaging, nursing, respiratory care and sonography, MHN is committed to delivering clinical excellence, expanding access and providing compassionate care at every stage of life. Learn more at marshallhealthnetwork.org.