REACH - News & Events

REACH Air Medical Services Adds State-of-the-Art Medical Helicopter to Enhance Emergency Service in Northern California
In an ongoing program to modernize and upgrade its fleet of emergency air medical helicopters, REACH Air Medical Services has taken delivery of a new Eurocopter EC135 helicopter. The aircraft will be based at REACH’s Concord, CA base, known as REACH 3. The new aircraft will be the sixth EC135 for REACH, a 26-year-old emergency air medical services provider, bringing the fleet to twenty helicopters and eight fixed-wing aircraft and an additional 10 ground ambulances.

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May 21, 2013

REACH Air Medical Services receives FAA approval for GPS routes in Oregon.
REACH Air Medical Services is pleased to announce approval from the FAA to use its own GPS approaches and routes, directly to hospitals and landing sites in Western Oregon. REACH is the first Helicopter Emergency Management Service (HEMS) program to commit assets to serve the Oregon Coast and Willamette Valley. These areas are often inundated with weather that cannot be negotiated by visual flight alone. "The GPS technology is so accurate, our pilots are able to fly extremely precise routes through mountainous terrain on our GPS routing system at lower altitudes than traditional air traffic control routes." states Vicky Spediacci, Vice President of Aviation Operations, "This affords us safer flight opportunities that keep us out of prohibitive weather conditions, such as icing, for our helicopters."

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April 18, 2013

REACH Air Medical Services Earns Diamond Certification Again
REACH Air Medical Services has just been awarded the prestigious Diamond Certified symbol for the third consecutive year. This is the result of being rated highest in quality in a patient and customer satisfaction rating performed by American Ratings Corporation.

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View the Diamond Certified Report
March 27, 2013

REACH Air Medical Services receives Patriot Award
REACH was nominated by employee, Aircraft Maintenance Technician Peter Bradley, for the Patriot Award. This award recognizes companies that support employees currently serving in the military Guard or Reserve. A nicely framed certificate signed by Leon Panetta was presented to REACH and Andy Danovaro, Maintenance Training Manager, by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. The ESGR is a volunteer Department of Defense agency established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Service members and their civilian employer.

Read more about REACH Patriot Award
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February 2013

High-Tech Transport System Enhances Care for Critically Sick Infants
A new transport system for newborns codesigned by UCLA's Pediatric Transport Team is the first isolette in the country that allows critically ill infants to be safely moved from an ambulance to a helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft without modification. Combined with the UCLA team's recent partnership with REACH Air Medical Services, the innovative device extends the reach of UCLA's expertise in life-saving neonatal intensive care.

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February, 2013

REACH Air Medical Services acquired by Air Medical Group Holdings, Inc.
REACH Medical Holdings LLC, parent company of REACH Air Medical Services with headquarters in Santa Rosa, has been wholly acquired by Air Medical Group Holdings, Inc. (AMGH). As of December 5, 2012 REACH joins a family of three AMGH-owned air ambulance companies: Air Evac Lifeteam of West Plains, MO; Med-Trans Corporation of Dallas, TX and EagleMed of Wichita, KS. Combined (not including REACH), the company operates a fleet of more than 200 helicopters and airplanes from 180 U.S. bases in 27 states.

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December 5, 2012

REACH Conferences
REACH has developed a reputation for sharing the knowledge and experience gained through thousands of patient transports. Each year we offer educational programs that have been developed to enhance critical thinking skills for nurses and paramedics. This year, we have a great line up including REACH on Tour conferences held throughout California and Oregon. We are also proud to present the REACH Pediatric and Neonatal Care conferences in Napa, California this October. Click here to learn more.

REACH Air Medical Services and Methodist Healthcare Announce Expansion of Texas Operations
REACH Air Medical Services and Methodist Healthcare announce the expansion of our partnership providing emergency helicopter service to include a second base in Pearsall, Texas, called Methodist AirCare 2. Service began on December 12, 2011. AirCare 2 will provide life-saving 24/7 emergency medical helicopter service from a base located 50 miles southwest of San Antonio where AirCare 1 is located. AirCare 2 will help meet the increasing air ambulance demands of this large region and will better serve and support the community.

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December 14, 2011

REACH Air Medical Services and Cal-Ore Life Flight Merger Creates Expanded Air and Ground Medical Transport Network
REACH Air Medical Services and Cal-Ore Life Flight announce the merger of the two privately-held companies, creating the most comprehensive network of medical air and ground transportation in the Western United States. REACH, with 13 helicopter bases and one airplane base, and Cal-Ore, with two airplane and two ground ambulance bases, have been collaborators in patient transport services for years. Their mutual commitments to safety, outstanding patient care and customer service bring two organizations together into a broader network.

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December 2, 2011

A History of REACH Air Medical Services in Rotorcrat Professional Magazine
REACH is featured in the November, 2011 Rotorcraft Professional magazine. The cover is a shot of our Agusta 109a and inside (starting on page 14) is an article written by Linda McDonald Ahmadi entitled "A History of REACH Air Medical Services."

Read the story here.
November, 2011

The Woman's Hospital of Texas and REACH Air Medical Services Partner to Provide Emergency Air Transport to Houston Region
The Woman's Hospital of Texas and REACH Air Medical Services, LLC announce a collaboration to provide life-saving 24/7 emergency medical helicopter service to Houston and outlying areas. The service will provide air transport exclusively for high-risk maternal and neonatal patients to Woman's for specialized care.

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November 16, 2011

REACH Air Medical Services adds Brian Karr as CFO
REACH Air Medical Services LLC announces the hiring of D. Brian Karr as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Karr will direct all finance, treasury, funding and accounting functions to assure the success of current and future business strategies for REACH. "REACH is pleased to welcome Brian Karr to our senior management team," said Jim Adams, CEO of REACH. "As we continue to expand our operations, technology and services, we are confident Brian's experience, skills and leadership will help take REACH to new heights."

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April 18, 2011

REACH Air Medical Services earns Diamond Certified Designation
REACH has earned the Diamond Certified® designation. Earning the rating of "highest in quality" came after being rated in a customer satisfaction survey performed by American Ratings Corporation. "Everyone at REACH is pleased to have earned the Diamond Certified designation," said Jim Adams, CEO of REACH. "We're proud of the high ratings, but especially grateful to hear from so many different types of customers. We work closely with hospitals and Emergency Medical Services providers, so we don't often hear directly from our patients who are flown in emergency situations. This survey gave us unprecedented access to people or their families who were transported by us. We believe that no other air medical services company has been so rated by its customers."

View the REACH Air Medical Services Diamond Certified Video Profile
View the REACH Air Medical Services Diamond Certified Report
Read the Press Release
March 18, 2011

REACH 8 appears on KVAL TV in Corvallis
KVAL news station in Corvallis, Oregon recently videotaped the segment below about REACH Air Medical Services.

From the newsdesk of KVAL.com: If you look up and see one of Oregon's air ambulances in flight, you're seeing a hero in action. Air ambulances reach remote corners of the state where an ambulance can't go or can't get to in a reasonable amount of time. "We fly in an aircraft that travels around 160 to 170 miles an hour," said Kenny Nealy, a REACH helicopter paramedic. "There's no stop signs up here, no traffic jams."

Nealy and his pilot, Ken Huston, respond when time is of the essence. Nealy handles the patient while Huston navigates the sky. That's no easy task in the tiny interior of the helicopter. The REACH aircraft works like a mobile ER, taking patients from the scene of an accident directly to a hospital, saving valuable time.

And time is what it's all about. From time a call comes in to the time they pick up a critically ill or injured person, the clock is ticking. The days are long, the shift demanding, but these heroes don't need to wear capes to get satisfaction from a job well done.

View the video.

REACH Crew Helps Find Men Lost in the Snow
Two men who got lost in a steep, wooded area near Round Mountain, California were reached by rescue teams early morning on Monday, February 28. A REACH helicopter from Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding located the missing men around 10 p.m., three hours after they first were reported missing. The REACH crew consisted of Pete Ortiz, pilot, Terri Douglas, RN, and Jon Kowalski, EMT-P.

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February 28, 2011

REACH Provides Critical Component in Saving Officer's Life
Lincoln City, Oregon police officer Steven Dodds is expected to make a full recovery from the multiple gunshot wounds he suffered during a January traffic stop, according to trauma surgeon Seth Izenberg at Legacy Emmanuel Hospital. Izenberg said Dodds suffered at least two gunshot wounds, with one or more rounds causing serious injury to his abdomen. Somewhere between 150 and 200 people were involved in the emergency response that saw Dodds transported to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital and airlifted to Portland for emergency surgery. Izenberg said the REACH Air Medical Services response was a critical component in Dodds' survival.

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Reprinted with persmission by the The News Guard
February 2, 2011

For more press articles about REACH Air Medical Services, visit our Newsroom.