Bayflite One Satellite Base Heliport

The closure was due to economic and strategic business reasons. In 2015, Bayfront Health's parent company, Community Health Systems (CHS), made the decision to discontinue its in-house Bayflite air ambulance program. Instead of operating its own helicopter fleet, the company chose to contract with a third-party national provider, Air Methods, to handle air medical services. This move was intended to reduce operational costs and liabilities associated with running a private HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) program.

The physical helipad at the specified coordinates (28.188601, -82.626701) is still active and in use. It is located on the campus of the Medical Center of Trinity. While the 'Bayflite' operation is gone, the helipad now serves the hospital's current contracted air ambulance provider and other medical helicopters. The site is now officially registered with the FAA as the 'Medical Center of Trinity Heliport' with the FAA Location Identifier (LID) '9FL1'.

The heliport was a crucial satellite base for the Bayflite air medical program, which was established in 1986 and was a pioneering and highly respected HEMS provider in the Tampa Bay area. Located on the grounds of what is now the Medical Center of Trinity, this base housed one of Bayflite's helicopters. Its primary operation was to provide rapid medical transport for critically ill and injured patients. This included responding directly to accident scenes in Pasco, Pinellas, and surrounding counties, as well as facilitating inter-facility transfers between hospitals. For nearly three decades, the Bayflite program and this base were an integral part of the regional emergency and trauma care system.

There are no plans or prospects for the 'Bayflite One Satellite Base Heliport' to reopen under its original name and operation. The Bayflite program was permanently disbanded by its parent company. The physical infrastructure, however, never ceased being a functional heliport and continues to serve its original purpose for the hospital, just under a new designation and with a different air medical operator.