Mercy Flight’s Life-Saving Upgrade
Client: Mercy Flight
Project: IFR Flight Approaches for 4 hospitals
Amount Raised: $100,000
Source: Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo – 21st Century Grant
Mercy Flight is a non-profit emergency transportation organization that provides air and ground transport across Western New York, Northern Pennsylvania, and beyond. It serves approximately 1.6 million residents across 13,000 square miles and provides these services regardless of a patient's insurance status or ability to pay.
In addition to most of Mercy Flight’s service area being rural, the EMS crews answer calls year-round, including during infamous WNY winters. These two factors alone can cause unwanted delays “When Minutes Matter” most to patient care. Mercy Flight knew it needed to update its technology to prevent these life-threatening delays so it partnered with Upper Edge to find funding.
In 2022, Upper Edge was happy to guide Mercy Flight through the multi-step process of the bi-annual 21st Century application and was even happier when after a highly competitive process, Mercy Flight was announced the winner! The $100,000 award was used to install an IFR approach system at four strategic locations – Wyoming County Community Hospital (Warsaw), Olean General Hospital (Olean), Bertrand Chaffee Hospital (Springville), and Medina Memorial Hospital (Medina) - allowing its helicopter air ambulances to provide lifesaving transportation even in inclement weather by relying on instrument readings rather than visual cues, thereby decreasing travel time and increasing positive patient outcomes.
UEC couldn’t be more thrilled to have been part of a life-saving project.