Native Air provides air medical transport for patients requiring critical care.
They can land their helicopter at the scene of an accident to provide medical care while en route to a hospital, and they also transport patients between medical facilities for those needing specialized care. Their aircraft is equipped as a flying ICU, carrying the medical equipment and medications the crew needs to provide lifesaving care for trauma, cardiac, stroke, pediatric, neonatal, high-risk obstetrics, and other critical patients. They carry a Zoll AutoPulse CPR device among their 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.
Native Air 29, and its co-located sister fixed wing program, LifeGuard 4, opened its doors over 20 years ago to serve the community with emergency air medical care, faster response times, and transport to medical facilities throughout the area. The Native Air helicopter primarily serves the Energy Basin area, while the fixed wing plane can travel farther distances for patients needing care in Dallas, Denver, or other areas. It can also fly in a wider range of weather conditions. They recently acquired an upgraded aircraft to better serve the people of New Mexico. Native Air’s ecosystem of bases serves patients 24/7 across southern New Mexico with sister bases in Artesia, Roswell, Alamogordo, Las Cruces, Deming, and Silver City. Native Air is part of Air Methods, the nation’s leading air medical service provider.
Native Air is set apart by the quality of its clinicians. In an emergency, people want to know they, or their loved ones, are getting the very best care. All Native Air clinicians have at least three years of experience in an emergency or intensive care setting before joining a flight crew, and they receive ongoing advanced training through Air Methods Ascend, which provides flight nurses and flight paramedics world-class educators, state-of-the-art tools, and cutting-edge technologies to help build their knowledge with advanced mannequin-based simulation and virtual reality training that mirrors real-world patient care scenarios, building life-saving skills and confidence. Evidence of this training shines in Air Methods’ GAMUT scores. The GAMUT (Ground and Air Medical qUality Transport) collaborative was created to evaluate the quality of care by medical transport programs. It is comprised of more than 350 program members worldwide and collects data from over 2.5 million transports. Air Methods voluntarily submits data to GAMUT and has consistently maintained a clinical score of 95 or above, GAMUT’s definition of “excellent.” It leads the industry with the highest scores in eleven key metrics, including first attempt intubation for both adults and pediatrics, and management of aortic emergencies. Additionally, a recent independent study found patients suffering from head trauma or stroke spend less time in the hospital following their transport and have lower associated medical costs when flown by Air Methods.
Knowing patients may be concerned about air medical bills, Air Methods developed a patient advocacy program and in-network strategy that focuses on the fact that the healing process should not be interrupted by aggressive and antiquated billing practices. Their patient advocates work with individuals to ensure affordability based on their own financial situations, regardless of their insurance coverage. Additionally, Air Methods is in-network with over 80% of the nation’s health insurance carriers and continues working toward the goal of securing in-network agreements with 100% of the carriers. Patients never need an air medical membership, from any company, to be transported.
Native Air does not sell air medical memberships. Under federal law, patients cannot be charged more than the co-pay, deductible, or maximum out-of-pocket amount outlined in their insurance policy, and air medical transport is fully covered under Medicaid and many Medicare Part B plans. This means it is unnecessary for citizens or their community leaders to pay for memberships. Less than one percent of people ever need air medical transport, which means most people who buy a membership never see any benefit from it. Native Air and Air Methods prefer to work with each patient individually, based on their own circumstances, to ensure affordability, even if they do not have insurance.
Native Air crews participate in community fairs and festivals, National Night Out events, and other local celebrations to show their support for the community. They also train area EMS, fire, and Sheriff’s departments to help ensure the entire community receives the best possible care from all first responders. Our driving passion is providing exceptional emergency care for the people of New Mexico.
Native Air 29 • Established 2005
outreach.nativeair29@airmethods.com
https://www.airmethods.com/air-medical/program/native-air-ambulance/
Article originally published in Focus on Carlsbad 2026 Spring edition.
