‘PHi Cares’ in Quemado Area

By Debbie Leschner
For the Mountain Mail

QUEMADO -- Much discussion was held during the fall of 2009 in Quemado and outlying areas about finding an affordable medivac service for residences in the area.
PHi Air Medical out of Albuquerque, Grants and Santa Fe has been the answer. Their air medical flight crews include highly trained pilots, critical care flight nurses and paramedics. The service, “PHi Cares” covers transportation from the scene of the emergency and transportation from hospital to hospital. The program works on a membership basis with an annual fee. There are two types of memberships; a family and a corporate.
The corporate annual fee is $40 per household and there is no need to have insurance to be covered under the PHi Cares program.
Several local areas have started corporate memberships through the fire departments. Red Hills group name is “Red Hill” and was formed in October 2009. The contact is Sher Brown at 773-4637.
Pie Town's group was formed in December 2009 with over 25 people initially signed up. The contact is the Emergency Medical Services at 772-2666. The group name is “Pie Town 1209.”
Quemado started their group with about 20 people in December 2009. Yvonne Armstrong at J and Y Auto is the contact person at 773-4775.
Quemado Lake area is in the process of forming their group called “Quemado Lake Area.” They hope to be up and running by late February. Contacts are Kathy Garceau or Shannon Zetich.
Anyone can still join into one of the above groups just put the group name you wish to join on the application. Need more information or an application, just call one of the contacts.
A fourth helicopter site for the state will be located in Socorro.
PHi Air Medical is in the process of getting things established and hiring staff. It is due to open late March. This is a great benefit for our area and takes a load off the first responders mind knowing a person is a member of PHi.
A person can have the option of being medivaced in case of an emergency with the concern about their health not about the money. Patrick McKenzie, a PHi Air Medical representative, is currently working with people in Apache Creek and Datil Fire Department to form a group in those areas. He would like to see communities as Magdalena and others take advantage of the program and the future Socorro helicopter site. His cell phone is 505-264-0654.

‘PHi Cares’ in Quemado Area