Care Flight, a service of REMSA Health, has celebrated the arrival of a new helicopter, Care Flight 1, which will begin service in late 2024, providing emergency medical care in rural Nevada. It will replace a similar, but older model helicopter. Care Flight 1 will be based in Fallon, Nevada as one of four in Care Flight’s fleet of helicopters.

 A $5.3 million grant from the William N. Pennington Foundation funded the purchase of Care Flight 1, one of four needed rotor-wing aircraft. This addition enables the organization to invest in highly innovative safety features, clinical advancements and state-of-the-art air ambulance technology. The grant is the largest made to REMSA Health, which is a not-for-profit organization that does not receive local tax subsidies. In the coming years, the other Care Flight helicopters will need to be replaced with new aircraft to ensure REMSA Health can continue to provide emergency air ambulance services to some of the rural communities it serves. 

“On behalf of REMSA Health and Care Flight, I extend my deepest gratitude to the William N. Pennington Foundation for their generous support of our Care Flight program and sustaining rural healthcare for those in need,” said Barry Duplantis, president and CEO, REMSA Health. “We’re thrilled to celebrate with our providers, partners and community to commemorate this vital addition to our fleet. Care Flight 1 bolsters our commitment to safely providing clinically excellent, compassionate care to patients throughout our region for decades to come.”