REACH Air Medical Services have decided to discontinue their emergency helicopter service from their North Bend Air Station this month. The North Bend Air Station was once used for both their airplane and helicopter emergency transportation services. Starting this month, it will only be providing airplane services.
Shift in Location for Helicopter Air Medical Services
However, this doesn’t mean that REACH will no longer be providing their helicopter service for residents in Coos County. Instead, they will be moving their helicopter services to Roseburg. According to Anna Blair, vice president of business for REACH, they’ve found it inconvenient to combine their airplane and helicopter service in one location.
Now with a dedicated helicopter team located in Roseburg, REACH will be providing a 24-hour service to residents in the surrounding regions. This includes not only the Coos County area but also Bay Area Hospital. The previous helicopter service operating out of North Bend wasn’t available for 24 hours a day.
REACH Expects to Deliver Better Service
With this change from North Bend to Roseburg, REACH Air Medical Services hopes to be able to deliver better service. According to Blair, this change results in more available membership coverage. This will enable them to be in the position to save more lives in the long run.
In the recent months, their emergency coverage in the southern Oregon region has significantly improved as well. In addition to providing emergency helicopter transport services, REACH also takes upon organ transports.
REACH’s sister company, Cal-Ore Life Flight is also expected to open up a new air station in Brookings this month. This new station will have a Bell 407 helicopter operating out of it. And for the first time, there will be a dedicated helicopter emergency service for Curry County.
