Mercy Air celebrates 35 years of lifesaving service in Paso Robles
Former patient reunites with Mercy Air team after 4 years
– Mercy Air 34 will commemorate 35 years of providing lifesaving air medical care to communities in California and Nevada with a celebratory event on Friday, Dec. 6, at the program’s base in Paso Robles.
The event, which will run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., will bring together first responders, requestors, and community members. Formal speeches are scheduled for approximately 3:30 p.m. A special guest, Paul Hohman, a former patient, will reunite with the air medical team that provided his critical care four years ago.
Mercy Air, established in 1989, began operations at the Rialto Municipal Airport with a Bell Helicopter BHT 412 and a crew consisting of a pilot, a flight registered nurse, and a flight paramedic. This staffing model remains the standard. The program, created by six founders who identified the need for critical air medical services in the San Bernardino community, expanded under the leadership of Air Methods, which acquired Mercy Air in 1997.
Mercy Air 34, the base hosting the celebration, began operations in 2020. It is part of a larger program that continues to advance air medical care, delivering critical services to patients in need across the region.
Attendees at the event will have the opportunity to connect with the crew, tour the aircraft, explore specialized medical equipment, and learn more about the air medical program’s operations. Light refreshments will be served.
The event will take place at the Mercy Air 34 base, located at 4990 Wing Way in Paso Robles.
For additional information, contact Lisa Epps, Mercy Air account executive, at Lisa.Epps@airmethods.com or (559) 284-2723, or Jess Villanueva, base outreach specialist, at Jessica.Villanueva@airmethods.com or (909) 550-7192.
