It's been 25 years since St. John's Health System launched it's air-ambulance service.

Some of the pilots and survivors came together this evening to celebrate the Hammons Life Line Program.

Since its creation, the air-ambulance service has transported more than 25,500 patients.

The helicopters are stationed in Branson West, Bolivar and St. Robert. Patients can be transported to any hospital in the region.

John Q. Hammons donated money for the first air-ambulance.. which changed emergency response for the whole region.

Program Director DJ Satterfield says, "now we don't come from Springfield and go out to lets say 40 miles away. We're maybe 20 now. So now our response time once was 20 or 30 minutes now is 10 minutes. So now we have the ability to have two critical caregivers on and with that patient."

Today, the Life Line flight crew is made up of 95 pilots, paramedics and nurses.