April 14, 2021 – Intermountain Healthcare (Salt Lake City, UT) signed an agreement to acquire Classic Air Medical (North Salt Lake, UT), a leading air medical transport company that serves patients in eight states, including much of the same footprint as Intermountain’s telehealth service network.
Classic Air Medical operates 28 aircraft (16 rotary-wing and 12 fixed-wing units). Classic completed approximately 5,000 flights in 2020.
It has 22 bases primarily located in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska.
Classic’s multi-state, community-based operation is distinct and complementary to Intermountain Life Flight’s hospital-based structure, the health system said.
The addition of Classic will deepen Intermountain’s commitment to rural healthcare and enhance the health system’s ability to serve rural communities throughout the Intermountain West. Specifically, Intermountain said that the acquisition will enable Intermountain to expand support of physicians, clinics, and hospitals across the region through additional coordination with telehealth and digital care.
Intermountain will maintain Classic as an independent group and does not plan to consolidate it with the Intermountain Life Flight air medical program.
Classic will continue focusing on patients and communities it serves and the requesting agencies with which it partners. Intermountain plans to retain the Classic leadership team, as well as the approximately 400 Classic employees, most of whom are pilots, flight nurses, and paramedics.
The transaction is subject to regulatory review, and is expected to close this summer.