Virtua SouthStar honored for lifesaving measures
Robert Snyder, 24, and his family with the Virtua SouthStar crew.
The Virtua SouthStar team and other first responders were honored recently for helping to save the life of an accident victim. Robert Snyder, 24, was injured in a vehicle crash in January 2010 in Rio Grande. The Virtua SouthStar helicopter transported Snyder to the Harrah's Regional Trauma Center at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Atlantic City Campus.
Doctors, nurses and hospital staff along with the Virtua SouthStar flight crew gathered to greet and reunite with Snyder and his family, who brought a cake decorated as the Operation board game that read "Thank You."
The crowd applauded while Snyder took a short walk around the atrium to exhibit his progress.
"Thank you for saving my life," said Snyder to those who gathered. "I'm still a little rough when I walk, but I'm going to get better."
About Virtua SouthStar
Virtua provides reliable and speedy transport for seriously injured residents through its medical air transportation called SouthStar. It is South Jersey's only designated airborne emergency medical service.
Based at Virtua Voorhees, the SouthStar helicopter provides airborne emergency medical services 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. The helicopter is staffed by:
- Two State police pilots
- Flight nurse
- Flight paramedic
The SouthStar aircraft, a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, has the following features:
- Ability to transport 2 patients
- Aerodynamic fuselage and retractable landing gear
- Capability of reaching 155 knots, with a fuel range of 2 hours
As one of New Jersey’s largest health systems, Virtua helps people be well, get well and stay well through a comprehensive range of health care services. Services are delivered through three health and wellness centers, three fitness centers, four acute care hospitals, primary and specialty physician practices with more than 240 physicians, urgent care centers, seven ambulatory surgery centers, home health services, two long-term care and rehabilitation centers, 12 paramedic units and a wide range of outpatient services. A leader in maternal and child health services, Virtua delivers almost 8,000 babies a year. Virtua also provides employment and wellness services to 1,700 businesses and corporations. An innovator in clinical and information technology such as electronic medical records, Virtua is recognized for its ground-breaking partnerships with
GE Healthcare,
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the
Fox Chase Cancer Center. It is the official orthopedic provider for the
Philadelphia Flyers. Virtua employs more than 8,400 people and has been honored as the #1 Best Place to Work in the Delaware Valley for seven consecutive years. It is the recipient of the Consumer Choice Award from the National Research Corporation. For more information, visit
www.virtua.org or
www.virtuabroadcastnetwork.org.