Beginning next month, air ambulances in Colorado will - for the first time - have to be licensed and meet a comprehensive set of quality and safety standards.
The licensing requirement was five years in the making, and when it takes effect Feb. 1, only five states will remain that do not license air-ambulance operators, said Eileen Frazer, executive director of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems.
While the Federal Aviation Administration regulates the aircraft, there is no national oversight of air ambulances.
Colorado is at the forefront of states requiring providers to not only license companies but also demand they meet the accrediting commission's exacting standards.
"Our mission is to protect the public and provide quality prehospital care, and we are ahead of most states in that regard," said Dr. Ned Calonge, medical director of the state health department, which will oversee the licensing process.
Calonge said regulation was something many in the profession long felt was needed. The effort gained urgency after a 1997 air-ambulance crash near South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton, which killed four people, including the patient.
Denver Post
The licensing requirement was five years in the making, and when it takes effect Feb. 1, only five states will remain that do not license air-ambulance operators, said Eileen Frazer, executive director of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems.
While the Federal Aviation Administration regulates the aircraft, there is no national oversight of air ambulances.
Colorado is at the forefront of states requiring providers to not only license companies but also demand they meet the accrediting commission's exacting standards.
"Our mission is to protect the public and provide quality prehospital care, and we are ahead of most states in that regard," said Dr. Ned Calonge, medical director of the state health department, which will oversee the licensing process.
Calonge said regulation was something many in the profession long felt was needed. The effort gained urgency after a 1997 air-ambulance crash near South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton, which killed four people, including the patient.
Denver Post
