Contract Extension Benefits Patients

Manitobans who depend on the advanced critical care provided by STARS will be pleased to learn their communities can count on us for the foreseeable future.

Recognizing STARS’ exceptional record and the importance of ensuring continuity of critical care for Manitobans, a two-year extension of our existing contract was recently signed with Shared Health.

Since our first deployment in Manitoba, STARS has flown more than 5,000 helicopter missions throughout the province. We first established our permanent base in Winnipeg in 2012 after signing a 10-year contract with the provincial government, and the critical care we provide has become an integral component of health care delivery in the province.

“Everything STARS has accomplished in Manitoba has demonstrated that we are there when Manitobans need us to provide advanced critical care,” said Grant Therrien, STARS’ provincial director of Manitoba operations. “This contract extension allows us to provide uninterrupted service to the people of Manitoba and speaks to the exceptional skill and dedication our crews demonstrate every day.”

The care STARS provides in Manitoba extends well beyond our trademark red helicopter. “We’ve developed partnerships with health-care providers and first responders in rural and remote communities to improve their access to critical care and have taken on the provision of air medical crew for the province’s fixed-wing air ambulance program,” said Therrien.

Also notable is STARS COVID-19 pandemic response. In addition to pandemic-related inter-facility transfers within Manitoba, STARS was one of the organizations called upon by the province to help transport COVID patients out of province during the height of the third wave.

The continuation of critical care that this contract extension represents wouldn’t be possible without the strong network of allies who support our mission. This includes governments, businesses, and individuals across the province who have made it clear that STARS is a vital resource when someone in their community is critically ill or injured.

STARS is proud to be a partner in Manitoba’s health care system. Over the past ten years, we have enhanced the delivery of critical care to patients across the province. As we celebrate this contract extension and look to the future, Manitobans can rest assured that STARS is committed and ready to serve our province for many, many years to come.