Cypress Creek EMS, American Jet International contract lets local medical personnel take flight

Cypress Creek EMS is set to add another chapter to its 45-year history by partnering with American Jet International to provide a medical flight crew and equipment to assist with medical transports throughout the nation and abroad out of AJI's Houston headquarters at Hobby Airport.

CCEMS CEO Wren Nealy signed the agreement with AJI—an on-demand aircraft charter company that, among other operations, provides medical flights and organ transports—at Million Air terminal at Hobby Airport on June 30.

The new partnership is coming as CCEMS’ contract with Harris County Emergency Services District No. 11 enters its final months. That contract, which entails providing emergency medical services for approximately 177 square miles in Harris County, will expire Sept. 4.

“We’ve partnered with American Jet International to be their medical providers to expand our services to the community and provide air medical transport,” Nealy said. “This is a glimpse into what Cypress Creek [EMS] is going to be for the next 46 years. This is just one of the opportunities that we have been working on. ... We’re definitely not going away.”

CCEMS officials said the partnership with AJI will ensure that all aircraft are employed with state-of-the-art medical equipment, including Tempus ALS cardiac monitors, mechanical ventilators, medication infusion pumps, intra-aortic balloon pumps, Impella devices and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines.

Officials also noted that a combination of aircraft satellite communication and CCEMS’ body-worn cameras will allow patients’ physicians to provide live-streamed telemedicine, if needed.

“We are excited to grow with AJI and see endless opportunities ahead,” Nealy said in a news release. “We will be offering critical care medical transport services and organ procurement operations across the country and the globe.”

AJI Director of Operations Sean Borland echoed Nealy’s excitement for the new partnership.

“AJI is thrilled to partner with CCEMS to provide transport services for their life saving work,” Borland said in a news release. “CCEMS is an outstanding medical provider that is constantly innovating ways to serve the community. We look forward to expanding our operations with this team.”