posted November 25, 2024

Former patients, local leaders, and community partners join air medical crew to commemorate milestone

Santa Fe, NM – Nov. 25, 2024 – With a mission to provide the people of northern New Mexico with critical emergency air medical service, TriState CareFlight established a base in Santa Fe 20 years ago. On Nov. 20, approximately 40 guests came together at the Jet Center of Santa Fe to celebrate two decades of lifesaving care to the community.

Guests included Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber, City Counselors Pilar Faulkner and Lee Garcia, Jemez Pueblo Emergency Services Director Dave Ryan, and representatives from Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center, Santa Fe County Fire Department, Jet Center of Santa Fe, New Mexico Department of Transportation Aviation Division, Santa Fe Regional Airport, and more. The crew was also honored to be joined by former patients Rebecca Henry and Gabriel Vigil, whose stories exemplify the lifesaving impact of TriState CareFlight.

The celebration included remarks from Mayor Webber and other guest speakers, lunch, and photos with the helicopter. Former crew members who helped start the program, and those from their sister base in Taos, also joined the festivities.

“The skill, the talent, and the commitment that go into making this work as a life-saving enterprise is really inspiring,” said Mayor Webber. “The skill that goes into managing the aircraft, the medical skills, the ability to calm people down when they are in an extreme situation — it is an amazing lifesaving operation. Twenty years is a true accomplishment, and I wanted to say thank you. What you do very literally saves lives every day.”

The event was made even more special by former patients who shared their heartfelt stories about the care they received. Henry, now 18, was bitten twice by a rattlesnake when she accidentally stepped on it. She was only nine years old at the time. Her parents, both volunteers with the Moriarty Fire Department, knew she needed immediate medical attention. She was in the aircraft and on the way to Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque within 20 minutes of the bite.

“I was fortunate enough to have been taken care of by CareFlight quickly and made to feel safe,” said Henry. “They helped me not think about the snake bites, or that I was getting IVs, or that I was going to be in the hospital. I was fortunate to be able to have as nice of an experience as I possibly could have in a helicopter heading to the hospital.”

Vigil’s mother, Elma Vigil, thanked the crew on behalf of her son who suffered a traumatic brain injury, severe skull fracture, broken collar bone, three fractured vertebrae, and other serious injuries after falling from a 24-foot ladder and landing on his head on the concrete floor below. She shared her appreciation for the crew that stayed in contact with her throughout the process.

“CareFlight flew him from Holy Cross Medical Center in Taos to UNM (University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque). When they landed, CareFlight let me know that there was no change in his condition and that in three minutes he would be evaluated for surgery,” said Vigil. “We spent three months at UNM and Lovelace Rehabilitation Center. I would like to give my appreciation to everyone involved in saving Gabriel’s life and thank you for having us here.”

TriState CareFlight is part of Air Methods, the leading air medical provider in the United States. Along with their sister base in Taos, the program provides a complete ecosystem of emergency air medical support across northern New Mexico. Their flying ICUs carry industry-leading clinicians who are trained to provide critical care to patients suffering from trauma due to accidents, cardiac and stroke events, high-risk obstetric emergencies, and more. They carry whole blood on board and can administer it in flight or on scene, further increasing a patient’s probability of a positive outcome.

“The teammates who work with us go through vigorous training and have extensive experience in various areas of medicine. They dedicate their lives to this community, and their dedication is something to be admired,” said JP Martinez, area manager with Air Methods. “We look forward to another 20 years here in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico.”

Air Methods is committed to providing air medical services to all members of the communities it serves and is in-network with most major health insurance providers across the country for emergency air medical services. Additionally, their patient advocacy program works with all patients, regardless of insurance, to ensure affordability while making pre-paid air medical membership unnecessary.