SANTA ROSA, Calif., March 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The assets of Sierra Lifeflight, the air medical transport company located in Bishop, CA, have been purchased by REACH Medical Holdings, LLC, headquartered in Santa Rosa, CA. Under new ownership, the company will continue operating from their base at the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bc5cb901-69eb-4d1c-ab90-7f887a62456f
For the past 24 years, Sierra Lifeflight was a family-owned air ambulance operation with a long history of excellent service transporting patients to needed care. In remote areas like Inyo and Mono counties, having an air ambulance service is critical. Hospitals often need their patients transferred to higher levels of care than can be provided locally, and the time it takes to go by ground ambulance is not an option for some patients. Sierra Lifeflight will continue providing air medical transports for the region. Medical transports are flown by a pilot with thousands of hours of flight experience on board a medically equipped airplane. The medical crew consists of highly skilled and licensed flight nurses and paramedics who administer critical care throughout the transport.
“We started this business in 1993 right here in Bishop. We have built a company that has served this community for over twenty years. We want that legacy to continue. We looked at the people we wanted to run this business and we chose REACH because they are a well-respected company with 30 years in this industry. Their dedication to their patients, their experience in the air ambulance business, and their forward-thinking leadership made this the right decision for us. We are confident Sierra Lifeflight will continue to serve this community for many years to come,” stated James Marchio, CEO and owner of Sierra Lifeflight, on sharing the news of the company’s sale.
Sierra Lifeflight joins REACH Air Medical Services, Cal-Ore Life Flight, and CALSTAR Air Medical Services owned by REACH Medical Holdings. Together, they form part of the largest air medical transport organization in the western United States.
Sean Russell, president of REACH Medical Holdings, said he believes this will be good for the residents of Inyo and Mono counties. “Sierra Lifeflight will continue to serve the eastern Sierra region as an air medical resource with added support and benefits. With the largest network of fixed wing and rotor wing air ambulances in California, REACH will be able to further support Sierra Lifeflight to assure they are able to continue serving the eastern Sierra communities. Additionally, air ambulance membership will now be available through AirMedCare Network. For just $65 a year for your entire household, membership covers all out-of-pocket costs for a medically necessary flight--not only by Sierra Lifeflight, but also by REACH, CALSTAR, Cal-Ore Life Flight, or any of the Network’s more than 260 helicopter and airplane bases across 32 states.”
Mike Patterson, previously Program Director at Sierra Lifeflight, will be continuing with the company as Regional Director of Program Operations. Mr. Patterson notes, “I am really happy Sierra Lifeflight will continue this service. This has been a valuable asset for this community and the patients we have transported. I want to let our customers and our patients know that we’re still here, and we’re going to take great care of them.”
About REACH Medical Holdings, LLC
REACH Medical Holdings, LLC owns REACH Air Medical Services, Cal-Ore Life Flight, CALSTAR and Sierra Lifeflight and operates hospital-branded air programs. The company provides air medical transports using helicopters and airplanes from more than 45 bases located in California, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Texas. The company has nearly 900 employees, most of whom are highly skilled nurses, paramedics, pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians. To date, the company has transported more than 135,000 patients to needed care. For more information, visit www.REACHair.com.
About AirMedCare Network
AirMedCare Network is America’s largest air ambulance membership network. The company offers membership covering out-of-pocket costs for an emergency air transport by any of their providers. Sierra Lifeflight, REACH Air Medical Services, Cal-Ore Life Flight, and CALSTAR are providers to the AirMedCare Network. The company has more than 2.6 million members served by more than 260 air ambulance bases across 32 states. For more information, visit www.AirMedCareNetwork.com.