Patients needing emergency air medical transport throughout northern New Mexico now have greater access to critical care with the arrival of a new helicopter in Taos. TriState CareFlight 16's new H125 B3E (AS350 B3E) helicopter went into service in Taos earlier this month, delivering faster response times, improved performance and advanced capabilities to support patients in need. The TriState CareFlight programme is part of Air Methods, the USA's leading air medical service provider, which recently entered into a multi-year initiative to upgrade its fleet. This is the first aircraft to go into service as part of this effort.

“This aircraft represents a significant upgrade in both performance and technology, marking a major milestone in the company's aircraft replacement plan,” says Air Methods area manager JP Martinez. “Its advanced features and superior performance will directly contribute to reducing out-of-hospital times and improving mission efficiency.”

The H125 B3E boasts enhanced lift and speed capabilities. It can carry approximately 550 pounds more at 10,000 feet of elevation than TriState CareFlight's previous aircraft, allowing it to carry heavier patients, more medical equipment or more fuel, depending on the patient's needs. This improved lift performance is particularly important at the high elevation of northern New Mexico. The aircraft also travels 20 knots faster, allowing the crew to respond more quickly and get patients to higher-level care in less time when every minute counts.

The crew and patients are also safer thanks to the aircraft's advanced avionics featuring obstacle detection, aircraft awareness and real-time weather radar updates. These systems provide enhanced situational awareness by identifying terrain, antennas and other potential hazards along the flight path.

“This aircraft is crucial for transporting patients across the region quickly and safely, and will allow us to provide even more people with the best pre-hospital care,” notes Air Methods account executive Adam Johnson. “Together with our base in Santa Fe, TriState CareFlight 16 supports our ecosystem of care across northern New Mexico to serve local communities when they need it the most.”

Equipped as a flying ICU, the aircraft carries the medical equipment and medications the TriState CareFlight team needs to provide lifesaving care for trauma, cardiac, stroke, paediatric, neonatal, high-risk obstetrics and other critical patients. They recently added a Zoll AutoPulse CPR device to their list of industry-leading medical equipment, allowing for in-flight mechanical CPR. They also carry whole blood that can be administered in-flight for patients suffering from severe blood loss.

Air Methods is dedicated to serving the communities across New Mexico and beyond. The company is in-network with most health insurance providers, and the Air Methods patient advocacy programme works with all patients, regardless of insurance status, to help ensure the affordability of air medical services. Patients do not need a membership to be transported by any air medical company.