Care Flight welcomes a new helicopter to serve rural communities
Jan. 23, 2025 (RENO, Nev.) – REMSA Health and its service, Care Flight, announce the arrival of a new helicopter aircraft, Care Flight 2, which is currently located at the Gardnerville, Nevada base. It is serviced through a partnership with Air Methods, Care Flight’s rotor wing aviation vendor.
“The demand for access to clinically excellent healthcare in rural Nevada is increasing and REMSA Health and Care Flight are committed to investing in the ways we serve those areas,” said Adam Heinz, COO of REMSA Health. Heinz, who oversees Care Flight as part of his role, shared that the new aircraft enhances the emergency care service provided to the region. “Care Flight 2 provides our crews and patients with the most innovative safety features, clinical advancements and air ambulance technology available. Because the patients Care Flight serves cannot afford to lose access to emergency medical care, we made a significant investment in this aircraft to safeguard access to critical care in our rural communities.”
REMSA Health purchased the helicopter to replace an existing, older aircraft of the same model. Care Flight’s fleet consists of four helicopters and one fixed-wing aircraft.
“In the coming years, the two remaining Care Flight helicopters will need to be replaced with new aircraft to ensure REMSA Health can continue to provide emergency air ambulance services to the rural communities it serves,” said Barry Duplantis, president and CEO of REMSA Health. “While our organization was able to invest the funds for this helicopter, we continue our fundraising efforts to support future helicopter replacement purchases.”
Care Flight 2 is an Airbus H125 B3E helicopter. This model is particularly well-suited for the high altitudes, alpine environments and extreme temperature spans typical of the northern Nevada region.
Care Flight has transported and treated critically ill and injured patients across the region for more than 40 years. As a critical component of access to healthcare across northern Nevada and eastern California, Care Flight’s helicopter service transports approximately 1,800 patients every year, across a region of more than 50,000 square miles. Accredited for 21 consecutive years by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, the national organization that evaluates medical air services, Care Flight’s helicopter fleet is staffed by highly-trained medical critical care nurses and paramedics who are committed to continuing the legacy of safely providing clinically excellent, compassionate care.
