INNISFAIL - Red Deer County is doing its part to ensure urgent medical care for its residents.
The county recently committed to per capita funding for STARS air ambulance and approved $2 per person at a council meeting earlier this year. The amount, based on 2011 statistics, totals just over $36,000.
"We unanimously approved the $2 per person," said Jim Wood, Red Deer County mayor. "The amount is a relatively small number but the benefit is huge."
It's the first time the county has made a commitment to STARS. At this time it is for one year, and during next year's budget they will consider continuing their support, noted Wood.
"We looked at it in our rural municipality as something that was extremely important for our residents, to be able to get to the hospital in a timely fashion," he added. "Sometimes with injuries time is of the essence."
Wood noted how needed the service is in Red Deer County. Its contribution is in step with other municipalities in the province.
"When we made a (per capita) donation at Red Deer County, it's in line with donations made from other municipalities. It becomes a fair way to figure out what we should do," said Wood.
"We're doing our part at the county level to look after our residents."
The per capita funding is considered vital to STARS' operations, especially with tough economic times facing the province.
"We have seen an increase in call volume. Last year there was a nine per cent increase," said Glenda Farnden, senior municipal relations liaison for STARS. "Now we have decreased funding and increased call volume."
She noted many municipalities in Alberta (both urban and rural) are providing per capita funding to help offset operational costs on a yearly basis.
"The per capita funding is an opportunity to generate some sustainability for STARS' services," said Farnden.
STARS relies on government, corporate, individual and community support, she noted. It receives 21 per cent a year from Alberta Health Services to operate three bases in the province and 79 per cent is received through fundraising.
"We have our STARS lottery (every year) and that is a very significant part of how Albertans can continue to help support STARS," she said. "It is a community effort across our province that we continue to have (STARS) available to us."
Last year STARS flew to Innisfail five times and to Bowden three times.
A total of 1,814 missions were flown in Alberta last year from their three bases in Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie.
STARS air ambulance is used for two types of calls. An inter-facility transfer, when a patient is transferred from a rural hospital to tertiary care in a bigger city, and an on-scene call, when a STARS air ambulance lands at the scene of an accident.
"We take care of some of the most sickest and most critically injured patients across the province and take them to hospital safely while administering critical care aboard our helicopters, which are equipped as intensive care units," said Fatima Khawaja, spokesperson for STARS. "The helicopter is not just an ambulance in the air, it's a very sophisticated medical environment that's brought to the patient."
Jim Wood, Red Deer County mayor
"We looked at it in our rural municipality as something that was extremely important for our residents, to be able to get to the hospital in a timely fashion."
