South Georgia's only Lifeflight medical transport service grounded
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Posted 1:47PM on Tuesday, April 2, 2002
ALBANY - South Georgia's only Lifeflight Medical Transport chopper is gone. <br>
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The Lifeflight Service at Baptist Worth Hospital in Sylvester operated in South Georgia for only two years and was marred by a tragic crash that killed three people. <br>
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The chopper made its last flight ten days ago. The hospital has been sold to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Dougherty County, which did not buy the Lifeflight service. The last remaining pilot and 14 service crew employees were given severance pay through April. <br>
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Georgia Baptist EMS Director Jimmy Hudson said the Life Flight service will be missed, especially by smaller hospitals. <br>
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The hospital is selling all its medical facilities. Officials there report that Life Flight in Worth County lost over $300,000 in it's last year of operation. <br>
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Two of its Lifeflight operations in north Georgia will continue to operate. <br>
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Phoebe Putney takes over Baptist Worth Hospital on May 1st.