Dreams of faster patient care took flight Tuesday at the official opening of the helicopter pad behind Natchez Regional Medical Center.

Work on the helipad started in August, and a completed and operational facility means better care for patients, NRMC CEO Jeff Wesselman said.

“It means improved patient care,” Wesselman said. “We’re very excited to have it in our backyard. To have this here gives us the presence of a major medical center. We’ll take care of you, and if we can’t, we can get you to someone who can.”

A helicopter trip from University Medical Center in Jackson takes only 30 minutes, but it used to take longer than that to get patients to the helicopter pad a the Natchez-Adams County Airport, Mississippi Department of Transportation Executive Director Larry L. “Butch” Brown said.

“Imagine the patient getting that extra time with a doctor and getting care,” Brown said.

The helipad is an opportunity to improve Natchez residents’ quality of life, MDOT Commissioner Wayne Brown said.

“This project here will save lives,” Wayne Brown said. “That difference (of time) may mean whether you live or not.”

A flight crew from the University Medical Center flew in for the ceremony.

“I’m glad to see someone with a helipad,” UMC nurse Mark Randall said. “I’m originally from Vidalia, so for my friends and family, it makes a big difference.”

UMC paramedic Damon Darsey said the hospital used the helipad at least nine times in January.

The project was funded through a grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation and overseen by the county airport commission. The hospital will be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the helipad.

Capt. Paul Reihle, pilot for the UMC helicopter, said he was impressed with the new helipad.

“From a pilot’s perspective, it has easy access, a good hard surface, it’s well-lit and away from pedestrian traffic,” Reihle said. “This is probably the best manmade helipad at any hospital in Mississippi.”