WVU Medicine to place new $10.7 million medical helicopter in Westmoreland County

Aircraft expected to enter service in spring 2027

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The WVU Health System (WVUHS) Board of Directors have approved the expansion of WVU Medicine-affiliated aeromedical services into Westmoreland County, Pa., and its surrounding communities with a new $10.7 million Airbus H135 helicopter, which is expected to enter service in the spring of 2027.  

HealthNet Aeromedical Services, a separate company owned in part by WVU Hospitals, will own and conduct clinical operations aboard the aircraft. 

“Having a WVU Medicine-affiliated aircraft based in Westmoreland County is critical, especially as we plan to expand programs at Westmoreland Hospital that will position it as a regional tertiary referral center that offers more advanced specialty and subspecialty care to the residents of Westmoreland County and nearby communities,” Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO of the WVU Health System, said. 

The announcement comes nearly two weeks after Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe, and Westmoreland hospitals and their affiliated outpatient facilities officially joined the WVUHS, which has committed to making $800 million in investments to further expand programs in key clinical areas, such as cancer, critical care and trauma, heart care, neurosurgery, and pediatrics, among many others. 

“We’re excited to establish programs linked to the WVU Cancer Institute, the WVU Critical Care and Trauma Institute, the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, and  WVU Medicine Golisano Children's Hospital at many of these hospitals,” Wright said. “When possible, we want to provide the residents of the communities where these hospitals are located with easy and convenient access to more advanced specialty care.” 

The Airbus H135 is considered the gold standard for air emergency medical services (EMS) and is available in a wide range of dedicated EMS interiors that allow for a variety of configurations that provide ample room for patient care. Its cabin volume allows direct access to the patient in the event of emergencies, such as the need to administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation or other life-saving measures.  

“We’re excited to work with WVU Medicine as it extends its brand and services farther into Southwestern Pennsylvania,” Clinton Burley, president and CEO of HealthNet Aeromedical Services, said. “Our commitment to the new communities we will serve and support is to provide exceptional service, and our 40-year history of excellence serves as a foundation for these efforts.” 

For media inquiries: Angela S. Jones, WVU Health System Assistant Vice President of Media and Marketing Communications, 304-285-7259 - angela.jones1@wvumedicine.org