CALGARY – Shock Trauma Air Rescue Services (STARS) will have support from the Government of Alberta for the next ten years, regardless of who is in office.
Premier Danielle Smith announced a renewal of the province’s partnership with the made-in-Alberta air ambulance agency at the organization’s Calgary headquarters, ensuring fast and reliable access to emergency healthcare in the remote regions of the province.
“Every Albertan deserves access to the best-quality healthcare, no matter where they are in our province,” said Smith. “Through STARS, we are better able to connect Albertans in rural and remote communities to critical health care services, improving patient outcomes and providing assurance to families.”
Katherine Emberly, President and CEO at STARS, said the government fundraising was a consistent, stable revenue figure that her organization could plan around, which makes their lives easier.
“We love this partnership, you’ve got the long-term stability of the government funding, but you also have the community stepping up,” said Emberly. “That allows us to really innovate — when you look in the back of this helicopter, some of the advanced care equipment we’ve been able to do is through our partnership.”
According to the province, the new contract sets the standard for emergency medical response and aims to improve outcomes for patients across the province by stabilizing air ambulance services including STARS, the Helicopter Air Lift Operation (HALO) in southeast Alberta, and the Helicopter Emergency Response Organization (HERO) out of Fort McMurray.
“In locations with limited road infrastructure, air ambulance operations are critical to support urgent and emergent healthcare needs,” said West Yellowhead MLA Martin Long. “As the parliamentary secretary for rural health and a rural Albertan myself, I have a vested interested in advocating for initiatives that address the healthcare needs of rural and remote communities.”
The 10-year contract, which expires March 31, 2034, will see the province put in $15 million a year,
“We are proud to announce this partnership with STARS, which represents a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to strengthen emergency medical services in remote and rural areas,” said Health Minister Adriana LaGrange.
“This 10-year contract underscores our commitment to ensuring all Albertans have access to timely and high-quality health care, when and where they need it.”
