San Juan Regional AirCare

San Juan Regional AirCare is the air ambulance program of San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, New Mexico. The hospital owns the aircraft, and Air Methods operates them. The service calls itself a hospital with wings. It has provided emergency medical flights for the Four Corners community since October 15, 1986.

The fleet has three aircraft. AirCare 1 is a Bell 429 twin engine helicopter. AirCare 2 is a Pilatus PC-12 NGX airplane. A second Pilatus PC-12, called AirCare 3, joined the fleet in early 2024. The helicopter and the airplane can each carry two patients.

The program has cared for more than 27,300 patients. Its aircraft have flown nearly 7.5 million miles. Crews are made up of clinicians with the training and skills needed for high risk transports.

AirCare can transport high risk obstetric patients with fetal monitoring. It can carry patients on a balloon pump or an Impella ventricular assist device. Crews provide 12 lead EKG monitoring and assessments. They also have adult and pediatric advanced airway skills. Family members may accompany the patient.

Hospitals that need a flight call the flight coordination line. A flight supervisor answers inter-facility requests directly. The aircraft carry advanced avionics. A STEMI referral line is also available for heart attack referrals.

AirCare has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems continuously since 1995. The hospital chose to go through the accreditation process voluntarily. The review is a rigorous audit that checks safety and customer care standards.

The service is a team effort. It relies on San Juan Regional Medical Center staff, the City of Farmington, San Juan County, and area dispatchers.

Services

• High risk obstetric transport
• Balloon pump transport
• Impella transport
• 12 lead EKG monitoring
• Advanced airway care
• Helicopter transport
• Fixed wing transport
• Interfacility transport
• Family accompaniment
• STEMI referral line