A crucial public service in Chesterfield could be in jeopardy if its funding is not secured in the future, county officials say.
Med-Flight, a partnership between the Virginia State Police and the Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Service that provides medevac flights and assists in search-and-rescue operations, is facing a budget shortfall of about $1.4 million next year. The money would cover the cost of two onboard flight medics.
“We are a little concerned about where the future of the funding for that program lies,” Natalie Spillman, a lobbyist for the county, told a group of state lawmakers and county boards at a joint breakfast Tuesday morning at the Beulah Recreation Center.
The Med-Flight program started in 1984 as one of the first of its kind in the state, setting up shop in the county’s airport. Flight nurses were eventually provided by Virginia Commonwealth University.
By 2015, “it became evident that many calls related to Med-Flight did not originate in Chesterfield,” said Edward “Loy” Senter, the county’s fire and EMS chief. As a consequence, the Virginia General Assembly approved a budget that allowed the state to cover the county’s costs.
Senter said the program functioned that way until October 2021, when VCU pulled its staff from Med-Flight and partnered with another medevac service.
Because the Med-Flight program is publicly funded, it is also limited by federal law in how it can make additional revenue, Senter said. The Federal Aviation Administration defines it as a state service — which legally prevents it from charging money for its services.
Senter pointed out that Med-Flight is a regional service that provides vital care to people in rural and underserved communities across Virginia. For instance, out of roughly 3,500 statewide flights since 2020, Med-Flight has made more than 600 flights out of Mecklenburg County in Southside Virginia, which was ranked No. 108 out of 133 Virginia localities in a 2022 study of health outcomes.
Med-Flight was also active during Hurricane Helene. A second Med-Flight branch, established in Abingdon in 1987, was deployed to Erwin, Tenn., as floodwaters engulfed the town.
“We rescued more than 40 people off the roof of the hospital there before the Tennessee National Guard could get there,” Senter said.
The next legislative session is set to begin next month. “Our budget is so huge there are some pieces we’re not all aware of,” said Del. Debra Gardner (D–Chesterfield), who represents a northeastern section of the county. “I think it’s important to get that funding assistance if we can. It’s important.”
Recently, the Senate Finance Committee at the Virginia General Assembly ordered the Department of Health to conduct a study on whether part of the state’s Trauma Center Fund could be used as a funding model going forward.
“That report is still outstanding,” Senter said. “We’re concerned, from a long-term perspective, if that is sustainable funding.”
