The helicopter, run as a part of the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, will be in service at its new location from noon to midnight seven days a week. The move is a response to growing population and increasing numbers of car crashes in the northern suburbs, officials said.

“By placing one of our helicopters in the heart of this region, we can reach those patients needing our services with even greater speed,” said Dudley Smith, director of medical transport services for the Health Alliance.

The Air Care move into Butler County comes nearly two years (sept 2000) after Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton began flying its second helicopter out of the Warren County Airport in Turtlecreek Township to expand that hospital's service to Butler, Warren, Clinton and Highland counties.

University Air Care's other helicopter will remain based at the University Hospital in Corryville. Two-thirds of Air Care flights are hospital-to-hospital transfers. One third are flights to accident scenes.