03/25/2026
Today, we marked an important step forward for emergency care access in North Central Florida with a ribbon cutting at HCA Florida Gainesville Hospital celebrating the launch of HCA Florida AirLife—our new air ambulance serving Levy, Gilchrist and Dixie Counties in partnership with Air Methods.
These specially equipped helicopters operate as “flying ICUs,” staffed by flight nurses and paramedics trained to deliver critical care during transport. With a 379-mile range and 153 mph cruise speed, HCA Florida AirLife is built to help reduce transport times for patients in our rural communities when minutes matter.
We’re grateful to the community leaders, EMS partners and teams who joined us to recognize what this means for our region—more specialized emergency resources and faster access to hospital-level care.