WVU Medicine to base $10.7M medical helicopter in Westmoreland County

West Virginia University Health System’s latest investment in southwestern Pennsylvania will base a new aeromedical helicopter at WVU Medicine Westmoreland Hospital.

The $10.7 million expenditure approved by the health system’s board will buy an Airbus H135 helicopter for use for medical-evacuation transportation by HealthNet AeroMedical Services, which is partly owned by WVU Medicine.

The helicopter provides space for patient care as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other procedures if needed. It will arrive sometime in the spring of 2027 and use the existing Westmoreland Hospital helicopter pad, which was recently expanded.