posted September 26, 2024

Emergency air medical bases in Alamogordo, Las Cruces, and Silver City join forces to commemorate milestone 

Las Cruces, NM – Sept. 26, 2024 – With a mission to provide the people of the White Sands area with critical emergency air medical service, Native Air established bases in Alamogordo, Las Cruces, and Silver City 20 years ago. On Sept. 25, the three came together at Las Cruces International Airport to celebrate two decades of care to the communities of Southern New Mexico. Approximately 70 guests, including representatives from Memorial Medical Center, University Medical Center El Paso, Three Crosses Regional Hospital, HCA El Paso, Sierra Vista Hospital, Las Cruces Fire Department, Alamogordo Fire Department, New Mexico State Police, Dona Ana County Sheriff, City of Anthony Police Department, and many others attended the event, enjoying a light lunch and the opportunity to get a first-hand look at three different helicopters. 

One of the special guests at the celebration was Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez who spoke about the importance of rapid response to medical emergencies, particularly in rural areas that are farther from a trauma center. 

“It is important for all of our residents to get the best care for their injuries or illness and Native Air provides that,” said Mayor Enriquez. “I was a fire fighter with Las Cruces Fire Department when I started my career, and back then we were just trying to figure out how to do a landing zone because this was all new. This is another level of care with a fast response, and in remote areas time is of the essence to save lives.”  

The event was made even more special by Timothy Watson, a former patient and fire fighter with Sacramento/Weed Volunteer Fire Department. He was transported by Native Air 31 in Las Cruces in January when extremely high blood pressure caused a brain bleed. 

“I went to the hospital for a checkup and suddenly my blood pressure spiked to 300. There was a severe windstorm, the power went out three times while I was there, and the emergency generators didn’t kick in,” said Watson. “I was in critical condition, and they had to find a bigger hospital to take me, and a pilot to fly. They finally found a bed for me in El Paso, and the wind suddenly died down enough for the helicopter to be able to fly. It was a stressful situation, but I couldn’t be more appreciative of Native Air. The nurse and paramedic were phenomenal, and everything went like clockwork. It was great knowing you guys were there taking care of me. You take it for granted until it is you, or your kid, or your loved one. How do you say thank you for saving my life?” 

Native Air is part of Air Methods, the leading air medical provider in the United States. Along with their sister bases in Deming, Carlsbad, and Roswell, Native Air provides a complete ecosystem of emergency air medical support across southern 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. 

“I am so proud of these three crews that provide such exceptional care to the communities they serve,” said Lia Castagna-Munoz, senior account executive with Air Methods. “They truly are the best in the business. Providing outstanding pre-hospital care, and doing it safely, are their highest priorities, and they have twenty years of success to prove it. We look forward to serving the White Sands area for the next 20 years and beyond.” 
 
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.