Mercy Flights

Mercy Flights--America's first not-for-profit air ambulance service--was created in 1949 in direct response to the polio epidemic and medical transportation problems in Southern Oregon and Northern California. At that time, two small general hospitals provided basic medical care for the community of 17,000 residents. The nearest specialty hospitals for injuries and more complex care were in Eugene (167 miles), Portland (274 miles), and San Francisco (363 miles). Since the Interstate Highway Syst