12/04/2025
IN THE NEWS: Cooper Air Medical Services Celebrates 15 Years of Lifesaving Service
Cooper University Health Care’s Air Medical Services is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month, marking a decade and a half of delivering rapid, lifesaving emergency transport and critical-care response for communities across South Jersey. The Air Medical Services team supports southern New Jersey’s leading academic health system and only Level 1 Trauma Center - and the busiest in the region.
Launched on December 4, 2010, Cooper Air Medical Services has become an essential extension of Cooper’s regional trauma and emergency care system. Over the past 15 years, Cooper Air crews have responded to thousands of emergencies, providing swift transport for trauma patients, supporting inter-facility transfers, and ensuring critically ill and injured patients receive timely access to advanced care.
“Cooper Air Medical Services is more than just the transport of patients, it’s Cooper’s promise to the communities we serve to provide the highest level of trauma and specialty care available in South Jersey,” said George E. Norcross III, chairman of the Cooper University Health Care Board of Trustees. “We are very grateful to Cooper’s Air Medical Services team for 15 years of saving lives and providing rapid response and medical expertise that is not offered anywhere else in the region.”
“Cooper Air Medical Services plays a vital role in linking communities throughout our region directly to Cooper’s Level I Trauma Center and our nationally recognized specialists,” said Anthony J. Mazzarelli, MD, JD, MBE, co-CEO of Cooper. “Every minute matters in an emergency, and for 15 years this team has delivered exceptional care with unmatched skill and dedication.”
“Providing lifesaving academic medicine to residents across South Jersey is both an honor and a profound responsibility,” said Kevin O’Dowd, JD, co-CEO of Cooper. “The entire Cooper team is grateful for the extraordinary professionals who make up Cooper Air Medical Services and their steadfast commitment to saving lives.”
The helicopter fleet includes Cooper 1 and Cooper 2, both EC135 Eurocopters owned and operated by Cooper’s partner for the past 10 years, Metro Aviation, Inc. Metro’s expert pilots, specialized mechanics, and meticulously maintained aircraft help drive the success of Cooper’s air medical program.
Metro’s industry-leading safety record remains central to ensuring the safest possible transport for patients. Both Cooper 1 and Cooper 2 are equipped with advanced GPS navigation, weather radar, aircraft collision-avoidance systems, night-vision capability, and a comprehensive satellite-based, real-time in-flight data monitoring and communication suite to support the highest standards of safety and efficiency.
Each flight is staffed by Cooper’s highly trained team of flight nurses and flight paramedics, all nationally certified in their respective specialties, including certified flight registered nurse (CFRN) and flight paramedic (FP-C) certification.
“For 15 years, our crews have responded at a moment’s notice—day or night—to deliver critical care when it matters most,” said Rick Rohrbach, MBA, BSN, RN, CFRN, CCRN, MICP, assistant vice president, EMS and Air Transport Operations at Cooper. “Patients and families can trust that Cooper Air Medical Services will always provide expert, compassionate care.”
As Cooper marks this milestone anniversary, the health system celebrates the dedication of its Air Medical Services team and its ongoing mission to expand access to lifesaving care throughout the region.
