Legacy of STARS Air Ambulance
Dr. Gregory Powell founded a Canadian helicopter air ambulance service in 1985, called STARS, in response to the lack of emergency care available to rural residents. STARS stands for Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service.
Since their first flight, which involved transporting a critically ill infant to get care in Calgary, the organization has grown tremendously with the support of the community.
Calling themselves “the disruptive innovator” transforming the way health-care occurs, STARS team members continue to save lives.
According to their website, they have flown over 45,000 missions since their inception, with an average of 8 flights daily and 2,969 missions yearly in western Canada. Clearly, STARS air ambulance has left many enduring legacies and impacted the lives of countless people as a result.