Office Consolidation of Air Ambulance and Ground Ambulance Companies Creates Largest Tenant in Forum Building
09.26.2016
Receiving international and domestic requests for air ambulance services and providing critical emergency medical dispatching for ground ambulances throughout the southern U.S. are now daily occurrences in the Forum Building at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center.
Two prominent Birmingham critical care medical transport companies have merged their executive offices and communications operations into a greatly expanded space in Uptown's Forum Building. The combined offices now employ more than 130 team members within the Birmingham city limits, including executive leadership, technicians, billing and accounting specialists, and emergency medical care communications experts. The consolidation has created the largest current tenant in the building.
AirMed International first moved a team of nearly 60 team members into the facility in January 2014. More recently, Lifeguard Ambulance Service moved into an adjoining space. The headquarters for both organizations are now co-located on the 7th and 8th floors of the Forum Building. Expanding by more than 150 percent, the combined operations occupy more than 26,000 square feet in the building, compared to the roughly 10,000 square feet that was occupied before the office consolidation.
Joint Statement
Both companies were acquired in 2014 by Air Medical Group Holdings, Inc. (AMGH), a leading provider of ground and air ambulance services.
In a joint statement, Birmingham-based AirMed International President Denise M. Treadwell and Lifeguard Ambulance President Brett Jovanovich said, "We are excited to co-locate our services in Uptown Birmingham, recognizing the opportunity for continued growth and expansion in the Forum Building.
"Combining our headquarters and communications centers makes us more efficient, permits seamless IT support, and enables both organizations to maximize space for a combined 24/7 communications center, thus allowing us to deliver even better services to our patients.
"Given the footprint of AMGH, our parent company, Birmingham serves as a central location, especially for the southern states. The city provides ease of travel with direct access to the airport, lodging, and dining."
The expansion houses private offices, more than 90 workstations, conference rooms, as well as break room facilities for the staffs of Lifeguard Ambulance and AirMed International. Total project costs exceeded $1 million.
7th and 8th Floor of Forum Building
Expanded space on the 8th floor, previously occupied solely by AirMed, created a new executive suite for the Lifeguard team. The renovation work also allowed for better space utilization for AirMed employees, as well as an enlarged classroom for combined training activities.
When the 7th floor space was vacated and became available, Lifeguard leadership realized the potential expansion capabilities of the space and elected to relocate its consolidated communications center and revenue cycle department into shared space with AirMed. Lifeguard receives more than 130,000 requests for service annually; the large majority of which is received through the Birmingham communications center.
While AirMed has been housed in the Forum Building since 2014; Lifeguard Ambulance previously rented two sites in Homewood, Alabama and recently relocated several executive positions to its Birmingham offices. The office merger transaction was brokered by realtor Jack Brown (SIOR), Senior Vice President of Graham and Company, and remodeling of the office spaces was executed by Meadows Homes, Inc., both of Birmingham.
About AirMed International
With global reach, AirMed International is one of the leading air medical transport companies in the world, with more than 20,000 missions in all 50 states and over 150 countries on six continents. AirMed offers bedside-to-bedside air medical transportation on a worldwide basis and has some of the most experienced air medical crews in the industry.
Chosen as a preferred operator for many of the top hospitals around the globe, as well as a contract carrier for the U.S. Department of Defense, AirMed operates its own Birmingham-based fleet of fully customized and permanently configured jets. AirMed provides worldwide services from multiple bases strategically located across the globe. With accreditation from both CAMTS and EURAMI, AirMed is able to deliver a seamless transport experience to customers regardless of location.
About Lifeguard Ambulance Service
Lifeguard Ambulance Service transports patients via ground ambulance from multiple bases in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The company is committed to expanding its footprint and meeting the needs of the communities in which it serves. Lifeguard implements and executes community-focused emergency medical services for both rural and urban areas, aimed at improving available E-911 services and patient outcomes and works with healthcare entities in adapting its service lines to meet the ever-changing needs of the healthcare industry. The Lifeguard team is dedicated and committed to delivering the highest quality patient care in the industry. In the communities where it operates, Lifeguard Ambulance Service is the provider of choice and the EMS employer of choice. You can find more information on Lifeguard Ambulance at www.lifeguardambulance.com.
About Air Medical Group Holdings
Air Medical Group Holdings Inc. (AMGH), headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading provider of air and ground ambulance programs. It transports patients through its air medical provider subsidiaries, which include Med-Trans Corp., EagleMed LLC, Air Evac Life Team, AirMed International and Reach Air Medical Services. Lifeguard Ambulance Service operates ground ambulances. AMGH offers an array of customized air and ground medical program designs.
About the Forum Theater at the BJCC
The Forum Theater at the BJCC was renovated and opened in September 2015 for performances meant for a more intimate setting. With 275 seats, the Forum Theater is located in the Forum Building at the corner of 22nd Street and Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard in downtown Birmingham. It is part of the BJCC, Alabama's foremost convention, meeting and entertainment center. The BJCC is home to over 200,000 square feet of exhibit halls, meeting rooms and three entertainment venues, including Legacy Arena, the state's largest indoor event space. The BJCC campus also includes Alabama's largest hotel in the 757-room Sheraton Birmingham, the 294-room Westin Birmingham Hotel and the Uptown Entertainment District.