Air Methods, the leading air medical service in the U.S., announced that its subsidiary, Mercy Air, has opened a new base in Paso Robles, Calif., to provide emergency air medical services to the city and surrounding area. Other California cities that will be served by the base include San Luis Obispo, Templeton, King City, Cambria, Cayucos and many more.

The Paso Robles base will provide air medical services 24/7/365 to the region, responding to emergency medical calls for trauma events such as heart attacks and strokes. Mercy Air is staffed with industry-leading, highly-trained trauma clinicians and pilots with years of experience in the field. The base is also staffed with skilled aviation mechanics who ensure the aircraft is safe and mission ready at all times.

During missions, medical teams execute lifesaving interventions to care for patients, from providing trauma care after an accident to administering clot-busting medications after a major stroke. With the continued consolidation of hospitals and the growing number of rural hospital closures, the clinical support and speed of transport is critical to ensure patients receive the best and most timely treatment possible.

“In emergency situations, minutes can be the differences between life and death,” said Lisa Epps, Area Manager for Air Methods. “We are excited to expand access to emergency medical care for everyone in Paso Robles and the surrounding communities. We are also proud that we do not require patients to acquire paid memberships for our services. All patients we transport are supported by our patient advocacy teams, which help them navigate post-flight insurance requirements in order to avoid costly out-of-pocket expenses.”

Air Methods/Mercy Air is in-network with several California state plans, including Anthem Blue Cross California, Blue Shield of California, Humana, Three Rivers Provider Network, and Plotkin Health. Patients who have Medicare Part B or Medi-Cal are only responsible for their copay and deductible. The average out-of-pocket cost for Mercy Air’s patients in California, including copays and deductibles, is $114.