UCHealth to add LifeLine helicopter base in Steamboat Springs
New helicopter will expand emergency transport access in northwest Colorado
Summary
UCHealth will launch a new LifeLine helicopter base at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs in January 2027. The service will provide rapid air medical transport for patients who require transfer to higher levels of care, expanding emergency transportation access across the Yampa Valley and northwest Colorado.
Key Facts
- UCHealth LifeLine medical helicopter service will begin operating in Steamboat Springs in January 2027.
- LifeLine 6 is an AirBus H125 aircraft that will support patient transfers from UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center to higher levels of care.
- This new LifeLine base will improve access to advanced emergency and specialty care for residents and visitors in Routt County, the Yampa Valley and surrounding northwest Colorado communities.
Steamboat Springs, Colo. (Aug. 14, 2026) – UCHealth will bring its LifeLine helicopter service to the Yampa Valley in January 2027, increasing access to emergency transportation options when patients need to be transferred to higher levels of care. LifeLine 6 is a new AirBus H125 helicopter operated by REACH Air Medical Services. It is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment that includes Hamilton-T1 transport ventilation, CPAP and BIPAP; Zoll X cardiac monitor with advanced hemodynamic monitoring; Sapphire infusion pump; blood and plasma; EDAN dual fetal monitor; and advanced airway management equipment. The aircraft can transport one patient at a time, with each flight supported by a pilot, flight paramedic and flight nurse.
“Time is of the essence with critical patients,” said Dr. Laura Sehnert, chief medical officer at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center (YVMC) and a practicing emergency medicine physician. “We’re excited to welcome LifeLine into our community and are grateful UCHealth is further investing in the health of residents in northwest Colorado.”
Faster transfers to specialty and trauma care
Pending weather conditions and with a speed of up to 140 knots/161 miles per hour, LifeLine 6 has the capability of transporting a patient from YVMC in Steamboat Springs to, for example, UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland in 50 minutes or a hospital in the Denver area in 55 minutes. Should the Steamboat-based aircraft require maintenance or an additional patient transfer be needed, backup helicopters will activate from Loveland or Cheyenne. LifeLine also can provide fixed wing coverage out of Denver. LifeLine also partners with non-UCHealth air medical providers to ensure patient transport occurs as quickly as possible.
“The new LifeLine base in Steamboat Springs will provide patients with ready access to flight service,” said Rob Leeret, vice president of patient access and logistics for UCHealth. “LifeLine supports patient transport to any healthcare facility, be it a UCHealth location or a facility of the patient’s or sending provider’s choice.”
Local staffing and operational readiness
UCHealth will employ 6-8 staff, including flight nurses and flight paramedics, to support LifeLine operations in Steamboat. They will work closely with YVMC’s Level III trauma center and local first responders. YVMC will continue using existing air transport partners as necessary to ensure timely patient transport.
About UCHealth
UCHealth is a nationally recognized nonprofit health system that pushes the boundaries of medicine through advanced treatments and clinical trials, improving health through innovation and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. Investing $1.6 billion in community benefits including $762 million in uncompensated and charity care each year, UCHealth is Colorado’s largest Medicaid provider and dedicated to the communities it serves. With the region’s only adult academic medical center, University of Colorado Hospital on the CU Anschutz campus, UCHealth includes 38,000 employees, 15 acute-care hospitals and thousands of physicians across Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska.