REACH Air Medical Services, a US provider of air medical transport services, is launching its newest air medical transport base in Tulare County, California. Located in Porterville, the new base will provide emergent air medical transportation to the town of Porterville and the communities of the San Joaquin Valley. This is the first of its bases to be opened in the Visalia-Porterville metropolitan area.

“The town of Porterville is located along a major transportation corridor for the state of California,” says Vicky Spediacci, air chief operating officer for parent company Global Medical Response. “Having an air medical base strategically located in Porterville will not only benefit the town and the communities of the San Joaquin Valley but will also benefit travellers going south to Los Angeles or north to Fresno or Sacramento along state route 99, state route 65 and Interstate 5.”

The base is staffed by highly trained and experienced pilots, flight nurses and flight paramedics and is maintained by on-site aviation maintenance technicians. The Airbus H125 operated at this base is medically configured with the latest avionics and safety features.

REACH is a participating provider in the AirMedCare Network (AMCN), the nation's largest air medical transport membership programme with more than 320 air medical locations across 38 states. Members have no out-of-pocket costs for the flight only if flown by an AMCN participating provider for a life-or limb-threatening injury or illness. Whatever the member's insurance or third-party insurance pays is considered payment in full. Annual memberships start at $99.