HARTFORD, Conn. -- Lawmakers, health care professionals and residents urged Gov. Jodi Rell on Tuesday to rethink her proposal to eliminate the $1.39 million subsidy the state provides to Hartford Hospital to operate the LIFE STAR program.

Rell recommended eliminating the funds in her proposed state budget as part of her effort to close a multibillion deficit without raising taxes.

"There is no doubt that LIFE STAR has saved lives, and now it is time that we save LIFE STAR," said Senate President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn. "We all agree that we need to make cuts to help solve the budget deficit, but they can't be reckless cuts that will jeopardize the health and safety of our families."

"This was a difficult cut to make, but this is an extraordinarily difficult economic environment," Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs Jeffrey R. Beckham said on behalf of Rell. "Just to put this in some context, however, the state budget line item in question is a partial subsidy for that program that only covers a small portion of the program's operating expenses. The line item did not exist before 2002.

"The hospital is a for-profit enterprise that can make some internal efficiencies and reallocate its resources, just as the state is having to do in this difficult economic time, and continue the program even with the loss of this small subsidy," he said.

The LIFE STAR program includes a helicopter at Backus and one at Hartford Hospital. LIFE STAR is the only licensed air medical transport program in Connecticut.

"For the past 10 years, the residents of the towns I represent have breathed a bit easier knowing the emergency medical transport services of the Life Star helicopter are available to deliver them to appropriate treatment in a crisis situation," state Sen. Edith Prague said. "To deny Connecticut residents such critical services in the name of some hard-line, obsolete fiscal ideology would be in my opinion short-sighted and extremely unfortunate."

According to LIFE STAR program officials, LIFE STAR is available to all emergency and critical-care patients within a 150-mile radius surrounding the two bases. Nearly 500 of LIFE STAR's 1,400 annual patient transports originate from Backus, they said.

Since its inception, officials said, the LIFE STAR helicopter has landed in every Connecticut town and at every hospital.

Doctors said they understand the need for cuts, but want politicians to look elsewhere.

"As we health care providers are clearly aware of the financial restrictions and times we are facing right now in our economy, we cannot put a price tag on saving lives," said Dr. David Coletti, director of Backus medical trauma. "This program needs to survive."

"We will continue to work with Gov. Rell and our legislative colleagues to reach a budget agreement that makes real cuts to state spending while maintaining smart investments," Williams said.