Gov. Nathan Deal’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2015 contains a surprising health care item: $13 million to fund air ambulance service in 14 southwest Georgia counties.

If the funding is approved by the General Assembly, it will the first time the state has ever operated an ambulance service — either by air or by ground. In Georgia, trauma transport typically is handled by counties, hospitals or private emergency medical services (EMS) companies. Currently, all air ambulance service in the state is provided by private carriers.

Col. Mark McDonough, Department of Public Safety commissioner, told GHN there are no private air ambulance services based within the 14 counties that make up the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission (SWGRC).

That void, he explained, is why the state has proposed enlisting the Georgia State Patrol to operate two helicopters in the region, providing both ambulance and law enforcement services. The aircraft would be based in Camilla.

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