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UCSF School of Medicine, Class of 2003; UCSF Diagnostic Radiology Residency, Class of 2008.1.“High enough” numbers - SAT, GPA, etc is required, but having the highest numbers alone is not sufficient to get in. They don’t want robots. But among their requirements is that students have shown they can be studious and are smart enough. This bar is not as high as you would think.2.Extracurricular activities should be about Quality, not Quantity. What is Quality ? Part of Quality is that there is sufficient commitment and time expended to result in some verifiable achievement. It is one thing to enjoy writing short stories in your free time; it something else to have a NY Times best selling novel (one student I knew). It is one thing to enjoy the Arts, it is something else to be a high-level dancer or actress on Broadway (another that I knew). It is one thing to enjoy writing, it is something else to be Editor in Chief of the newspaper of a very large university. It is one thing to love your country and do ROTC, it is something else to have served as a Navy SEAL (like one of my classmates). These are standouts and most accepted students have not reached quite that level in their pursuits, but it does give you a sense of what I am talking about. Instead of volunteering in the ER for a few months, take the classes to become an EMT and then work as an EMT so that you have war stories. Instead of volunteering at the health fair, join a group that is doing relief work in a Third World country and experience healthcare at its most dire… and have some war stories. Whatever extracurricular activity you do, pick something you have a passion for, and pursue that passion until you achieve something to show for it. Do not just go through the motions. Do not just do enough to tick the box on your checklist.Highly motivated, self-motivated, people who pursue their interests with a passion can be seen from a mile away, and make for the next Noble Prize researcher; the next Surgeon General; the next great Professor; the next great clinical instructor; or the next great Public Health advocate; or next great inner city Emergency Physician. Whatever these people put their mind to, they do well.This has to do with something larger than UCSF, it has to do with one’s attitude towards life. To go for the gold. To reach deep down and summon the necessary grit to push and push and push until you get to the other side of whatever challenge you are facing or hill you are climbing. Because in some ways, life is just a series of hills, and they either make you stronger or make you give up.If reading this is motivating and makes you say, “hell yeah, bring it on,” then hoo-rah, power to you. If reading this seems terribly exhausting and makes you wonder, “is that even necessary to become a good doctor?” then the answer is, “no, it is not necessary… and neither is it necessary to go to UCSF.”3.If you should get an interview, then let your passion come through. Don’t talk about geek stuff that you think they want to hear. If you and the interviewer have an animated conversation about… just about anything, even photography, then consider that a win. Chemistry, Charisma, Confidence… all that stuff… are an important part of the interview. Ultimately, the interview is an emotional, visceral assessment of whether they want this student to be a future UCSF student. Many people are not born knowing how to interview well, this stuff can be and often needs to be practiced, with feedback, to get good at.

My favorite answer to this question are programs like Eugene Oregon's CAHOOTS program that started in 1989. Its operated under Eugene Police Department.This program is slowly expanding because various cities throughout the country have called on them.Chris Pietsch/The Register-GuardEugene Police officer Bo Rankin talking with White Bird Clinic coordinator Ben Brubaker and CAHOOTS emergency crisis worker Matt Eads, Eugene, Oregon, October 2019CAHOOTS workers help an unidentified individual into the back of their van, who requested assistance finding shelter.CAHOOTS – White Bird ClinicWhite Bird ClinicMENUCAHOOTSSEPTEMBER 29, 2020What is CAHOOTS?31 years ago the City of Eugene, Oregon developed an innovative community-based public safety system to provide mental health first response for crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction. White Bird Clinic launched CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) as a community policing initiative in 1989.The CAHOOTS model has been in the spotlight recently as our nation struggles to reimagine public safety. The program mobilizes two-person teams consisting of a medic (a nurse, paramedic, or EMT) and a crisis worker who has substantial training and experience in the mental health field. The CAHOOTS teams deal with a wide range of mental health-related crises, including conflict resolution, welfare checks, substance abuse, suicide threats, and more, relying on trauma-informed de-escalation and harm reduction techniques. CAHOOTS staff are not law enforcement officers and do not carry weapons; their training and experience are the tools they use to ensure a non-violent resolution of crisis situations. They also handle non-emergent medical issues, avoiding costly ambulance transport and emergency room treatment.A November 2016 study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine estimated that 20% to 50% of fatal encounters with law enforcement involved an individual with a mental illness. The CAHOOTS model demonstrates that these fatal encounters are not inevitable. Last year, out of a total of roughly 24,000 CAHOOTS calls, police backup was requested only 150 times.The cost savings are considerable. The CAHOOTS program budget is about $2.1 million annually, while the combined annual budgets for the Eugene and Springfield police departments are $90 million. In 2017, the CAHOOTS teams answered 17% of the Eugene Police Department’s overall call volume. The program saves the city of Eugene an estimated $8.5 million in public safety spending annually.CAHOOTS calls come to Eugene’s 911 system or the police non-emergency number. Dispatchers are trained to recognize non-violent situations with a behavioral health component and route those calls to CAHOOTS. A team will respond, assess the situation and provide immediate stabilization in case of urgent medical need or psychological crisis, assessment, information, referral, advocacy, and, when warranted, transportation to the next step in treatment.White Bird’s CAHOOTS provides consulting and strategic guidance to communities across the nation that are seeking to replicate CAHOOTS’ model. Contact us if you are interested in our consultation services program.Also See:CAHOOTS info pageCAHOOTS in the NewsSEPTEMBER 5, 2020CNN features CAHOOTS Police AlternativeBy Scottie Andrew, CNN, July 5, 2020Around 30 years ago, a town in Oregon retrofitted an old van, staffed it with young medics and mental health counselors and sent them out to respond to the kinds of 911 calls that wouldn’t necessarily require police intervention.In the town of 172,000, they were the first responders for mental health crises, homelessness, substance abuse, threats of suicide — the problems for which there are no easy fixes. The problems that, in the hands of police, have often turned violent.Today, the program, called CAHOOTS, has three vans, more than double the number of staffers and the attention of a country in crisis.CAHOOTS is already doing what police reform advocates say is necessary to fundamentally change the US criminal justice system — pass off some responsibilities to unarmed civilians.Read more…AUGUST 4, 2020Senator Wyden to introduce the CAHOOTS ActU.S. Sen. Ron Wyden announced plans to introduce a bill in the U.S. Senate aimed at bringing CAHOOTS response model mental health services to cities and towns across the nation through increased Medicaid funding.“It’s long past time to re-imagine policing in ways that reduce violence and structural racism, and health care can play a key role in that effort,” Wyden said. “Oregon has a proven model in the CAHOOTS program, and I want other states and communities to have federal resources to pursue similar approaches. Americans struggling with mental illness don’t always require law enforcement to be dispatched when they are experiencing a crisis – CAHOOTS is proof positive there is another way.”“For individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis, the assistance of trained health care and social workers is more effective than interventions from law enforcement in deescalating the situation and helping to connect those individuals with vital services to address the problems that led to the crisis,” said Cortez Masto. “I’m proud to support legislation that will provide Nevada and states across the country with additional Medicaid funding to help them set up mobile crisis teams that have a proven track-record of providing effective, trauma-informed care to those in need.”“We hope that the CAHOOTS model pioneered by White Bird Clinic in Eugene, OR can help communities across the United States develop public safety systems that align with their values,” said Chris Hecht, Executive Coordinator of White Bird Clinic. “Dispatching medical and behavioral health professionals to care for community members in crisis is a proven way to improve outcomes, combat racism, and avoid violence. We thank Senator Wyden for this legislation because we are eager to share a model that has succeeded in our community for 31 years.”The bill, the Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) Act, grants states enhanced federal Medicaid funding (a 95% federal match) for three years to provide community-based mobile crisis services to individuals experiencing a mental health or SUD crisis. It also provides $25 million for planning grants to states to help establish or build out mobile crisis programs.The bill is part of Wyden’s agenda to address a persistent lack of access to mental health care for too many Americans. He is also pursuing legislation to support access to wraparound services that help individuals after the initial crisis response.A one page summary of the bill can be found here. Legislative text can be found here.parked cahoots vanJULY 25, 2020Rep. Rashida Tlaib: The Case for an Emergency Responder Corpsby Rashida Tlaib Apr 23, 2020 in “The Appeal”What would an Emergency First Responders Corps look like?“The most important aspect of the Emergency First Responder Corps is that it must be civilian and designed to help people. The idea isn’t novel — it is something neighbors have been doing for centuries, and the time is now to take comprehensive approach to formalizing it to help our most vulnerable communities.A good model of this exists in Eugene, Oregon, CAHOOTS — Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets — has worked for decades to help people in crisis. They deal with those who are suicidal, houseless, infirm, or just having trouble getting the basics they need to survive. It’s fully integrated into the local service community. And they are effective. In 2018, CAHOOTS responded to 24,000 calls. CAHOOTS and the White Bird Clinic were recently awarded federal funding to expand telemedicine access during the current pandemic.”Read More…The Briefing: a new vision for first responders during the COVID-19 pandemicCAHOOTS program coordinator Tim Black joined Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and our self-described “biggest fan of CAHOOTS in the Rockies” Colorado State Representative Leslie Herod to discuss the CAHOOTS model and why there is a need for a behavioral health branch of public safety in communities across the nation.JULY 15, 2020Citing CAHOOTS as a Model for ReformSenator Ron Wyden will meet with White Bird CAHOOTS staff at CAHOOTS headquarters at 970 W 7th Ave in Eugene to discuss how this groundbreaking program can be a model for a national policing reform package and how Congress can best support the work. “The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 takes a vital first step toward accountability, and I am all in with pressing forward to achieve this legislation’s urgently needed re-focus of resources and policies,” said Sen. Wyden. Sen. Wyden co-sponsored the legislation, which would hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement and build trust between law enforcement and communities in Oregon and nationwide.31 years ago White Bird Clinic launched CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) as a community policing initiative to provide mental health first response for crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction. CAHOOTS offers compassionate, effective, timely care while diverting a considerable portion of the public safety workload, conserving police and fire department capacity. In 2019, CAHOOTS handled 17% of the Eugene Police Department’s calls. In 2017, police officers nationally spent 21% of their time responding to or transporting people with mental illness.Dispatching appropriate responders for each unique situation is essential to ensuring the best outcome. CAHOOTS focuses exclusively on meeting the medical and mental health needs of the community, making it more appropriate, economical, and effective than traditional models involving agencies with a much larger scope of responsibility.Police officers and fire fighters receive training in a broad set of skills, making their deployment to non-emergent situations unnecessarily costly. The CAHOOTS model also ensures that health and behavioral health care are integrated from the onset of intervention and treatment, adding to the efficacy and economy of the model.White Bird’s CAHOOTS program has attracted notice from international news media as communities across the nation and around the world confront the need to reimagine public safety to ensure that it equitably serves human beings of all races and ethnicities.CAHOOTS is providing strategic guidance and training to assist communities in developing innovative public safety systems that align with their values.In 1969, a group of student activists and concerned practitioners came together to provide crisis services and free medical care for counter-culture youth in Eugene, OR. Having grown continuously since then, today White Bird Clinic has 10 programs, 220 staff members, and more than 400 volunteers each year.DOWNLOAD PRESS RELEASE (PDF)JULY 3, 2020Community-Based Emergency First Responders: ExplainedIn The Appeal‘s Explainer series, Justice Collaborative lawyers, journalists, and other legal experts help unpack some of the most complicated issues in the criminal justice system.Co-authors Tim Black, CAHOOTS Operations Coordinator, and Patrisse Cullors, Artist and Activist, “break down the problems behind the headlines—like bail, civil asset forfeiture, or the Brady doctrine—so that everyone can understand them. Wherever possible, we try to utilize the stories of those affected by the criminal justice system to show how these laws and principles should work, and how they often fail.”Continue to articleJUNE 14, 2020Racism is a Public Health CrisisA Statement from CAHOOTSWritten by Ebony MorganCAHOOTS Crisis InterventionCommunications TeamCahoots has been operating as a mobile crisis intervention program in Eugene since 1989. We respond in teams of two with a medic and trained crisis worker, handling 20% of the 911 calls in our area last year. This is a responsibility we take extremely seriously, and we feel privileged to do this work.Across the nation, communities are demanding that elected leaders defund police, reallocate resources, and re-evaluate current approaches to public safety. As the first program of our kind, we are in a unique position to share our experience and knowledge with other cities that are now considering alternatives to policing. We are humbled by this and have become acutely aware of our privileged position within a system designed to oppress.At our roots, Cahoots is innovative, forward-thinking, and dedicated to serving marginalized populations. Despite this, we are not immune to the effects of systemic racism and if we are going to lead by example, we must first do the work internally. We take responsibility for our past silence, and we commit to being advocates for change. We are actively seeking out, evaluating, and eradicating the ways that white supremacy exists within our structure and we encourage other organizations to do the same.Cahoots proudly stands with Black Lives Matter. We believe it is not enough simply to disapprove of racism. Rather, we assert that individuals, organizations, communities, and the nation as a whole have a responsibility to be anti-racist. We will speak up when we see power inequities. We will amplify oppressed voices. We will continue to educate ourselves. We will not shy away from any aforementioned commitments due to potential risks. We will reflect regularly and welcome feedback as we learn to use our privilege constructively.We are appalled by the lynching of George Floyd, aware that he was not the first nor the last to die a preventable death due to the color of his skin. Police brutality is not an isolated issue. It is a symptom of the broader toxic culture of white supremacy that was woven into the fiber of this nation as we know it during its inception.Racism is a public health crisis. For the sake of health equity, we have a responsibility to dismantle systems of oppression. This will take a lot of effort and we will have to be intentional about addressing racism’s effects on the social determinants of health. We must begin this work immediately.JUNE 13, 2020LA Times looks to Northwest cities to reimagine law enforcementBy RICHARD READSEATTLE BUREAU CHIEFLos Angeles TimesJUNE 12, 2020“Across the nation, political leaders are struggling to strike a balance between righting injustices in ways that might mollify those protesting racism and brutality while at the same time maintaining public safety. Some of the more original experiments in reimagining policing are unfolding in the Pacific Northwest…teams in Eugene handled 18% of the 133,000 calls to 911 last year, requesting police backup only 150 times, said Chris Hecht, executive coordinator of White Bird Clinic, which runs the operation called Cahoots. The program, short for Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets, operated on a $2-million budget last year that he said saved the Eugene-Springfield, Ore., area about $14 million in costs of ambulance transport and emergency room care.Hecht said that the teams, in place for three decades, can arrive at the scene of a homeless person experiencing a physical or mental health crisis, defuse the situation and prevent harm in ways that police officers are neither trained nor equipped to do.“The folks we’re working with often have a history of really unfortunate interactions with police, hospitals or other institutions,” Hecht said. “When a couple of people step out of one of our vans wearing jeans and hoodies, just right there we have a leg up on our colleagues in public safety.”Read more…JUNE 12, 2020Examples Of Reimagining Police Departments That Show Promise – NPR Morning EditionNPR Morning Edition took a look at effective alternatives to police response that keep people out of jails and emergency rooms. Tim Black from CAHOOTS is featured at about 7:08.JUNE 10, 2020CAHOOTS featured on All Things ConsideredNPR’s Ari Shapiro talked with crisis workers Benjamin Brubaker and Ebony Morgan at White Bird Clinic in Eugene, Ore., about their Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets program as an alternative to police intervention. Read the transcript…JUNE 9, 2020The National Asks “What could defunding the police look like?”The National, a nightly news program from Canada’s public broadcaster CBC, interviewed Tim Black and Ebony Morgan from CAHOOTS about our alternative model to police intervention for crisis response.JUNE 8, 2020Cities Ask if It’s Time to Defund Police and ‘Reimagine’ Public Safety’from the New York Times, June 5, 2020“One model that members of the Minneapolis City Council cite is Cahoots, a nonprofit mobile crisis intervention program that has handled mental health calls in Eugene, OR since 1989.CAHOOTS employees responded to more than 24,000 calls for service last year — about 20 percent of the area’s 911 calls — on a budget of about $2 million, probably far less than what it would cost the Police Department to do the work, said coordinator Tim Black.“There’s a strong argument to be made from a fiscally conservative perspective,” Mr. Black said. “Public safety institutions generally have these massive budgets and there’s questions about what they are doing.”Read more…OCTOBER 23, 2019CAHOOTS Mobile Mental Health Intervention Program In The NewsWhite Bird’s CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) program continues to make headlines. CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell correspondent Omar Villafranca went on a ride-along with CAHOOTS to see them at work and learn why the program is being considered by cities across the country.NBC News featured the team’s approach in their feature “Taking police officers out of mental health-related 911 rescues.”Denver police officials said they are considering the model as an option to push beyond their existing co-responder program. New York City is looking to the program as “a model for non-police response to non-criminal emergencies.”Salem nonprofits are looking at the model for mobile crisis response. “CAHOOTS gets 2 percent of the police budget, but with that 2 percent they handle 17 percent of public safety calls,” said Ashley Hamilton, who’s helping spearhead the idea.Rogue Valley law enforcement, mental health professionals and advocates, elected officials and other concerned community members gathered at the Medford Police Department to hear Tim Black talk via Skype about the program in September. In November, city commissioners are expected to discuss how the program would work in Portland.The power of White Bird’s CAHOOTS program lies in its community relationships and the ability of first responders to simply ask, ‘How can I support you today?’ White Bird Clinic is proud to be a part of spreading this type of response across Oregon and the rest of the United States.Read our recent mentions in the news…tim in californiaJUNE 25, 2019Mental Health First Responders Visit OaklandWhite Bird Clinic’s CAHOOTS program is meeting with stakeholders to share an innovative model for mobile crisis intervention that would otherwise be handled by public safety or emergency medical response.OAKLAND, CA – White Bird Clinic of Eugene, OR has developed an innovative public/private partnership delivering crisis and community health first response effectively and at significant cost savings. For thirty years, CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) has been providing mobile crisis intervention 24/7, dispatched through the EMS non-emergency system. This week, members of CAHOOTS are in Oakland to meet with the Mayor, the Coalition for Police Accountability, and other community stakeholders to discuss implementing the innovative model locally.Each CAHOOTS team consists of a medic (a nurse or an EMT) with a crisis worker who has substantial training and experience in the mental health field. The team provides behavioral health first response/responders, immediate stabilization in case of urgent medical need or psychological crisis, assessment, information, referral, advocacy and, when warranted, transportation to the next step in treatment.White Bird Clinic started CAHOOTS in 1989 in partnership with the Eugene Police Department as a community policing initiative. CAHOOTS offers compassionate, effective, timely care while diverting a considerable portion of the public safety workload, freeing the police and fire departments to respond to the highest priority calls. CAHOOTS handles 17% of the Eugene Police Department’s non-emergency calls. In 2017, police officers nationally spent 21% of their time responding to or transporting people with mental illness.CAHOOTS focuses exclusively on meeting the medical and mental health needs of the community, making it both more economical and more effective than traditional models involving agencies with a larger scope of responsibility. Police officers and firefighters receive comprehensive training in a broad set of skills, making their deployment to non-emergent situations unnecessarily costly. The CAHOOTS model also ensures that health and behavior health care are integrated from the onset of intervention and treatment, adding to the efficacy and economy of the model.White Bird’s CAHOOTS program has attracted notice, from national news media as well as from communities across the country. The Wall Street Journal’s November 24th article When Mental- Health Experts, Not Police, Are the First Responders showcased CAHOOTS as an innovative model for reducing the risk of violent civilian/police encounters. Communities from California to New York have asked for strategic guidance and training so they can replicate CAHOOTS’ success.Currently, CAHOOTS is working with the following communities:Olympia, WAPortland, ORDenver, CONew York, NYIndianapolis, INRoseburg, ORIn 1969, a group of student activists and concerned practitioners came together to provide crisis services and free medical care for counter-culture youth in Eugene, OR. Having grown continuously since then, today White Bird Clinic has 10 programs, 220 staff members, and more than 400 volunteers each year. White Bird Clinic is a collective environment organized to empower people to gain control of their social, emotional, and physical well-being through direct service, education, and community.The mission of the Coalition for Police Accountability is to advocate for accountability of the Oakland Police Department to the community so that the Oakland Police Department operates with equitable, just, constitutional, transparent policies and practices that reflect the values and engender the trust of the community.MARCH 19, 2019CAHOOTS Model Featured in Street Roots Newspaper article “Rethinking our first response”Kaia Sands, Executive Director of Street Roots, a Portland newspaper that creates income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and poverty through media that is a catalyst for individual and social change, visited White Bird Clinic’s mobile crisis support program, CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) this month.In 2019, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, Police Chief Danielle Outlaw and Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty’s staff have all come to Eugene to learn about the CAHOOTS model response to non-criminal matters resulting from homelessness. Kaia joined our crisis worker and medic team for a shift and shared her story, available in PDF for download here with permission.Street Roots visit to CAHOOTS helped to inform their plan for a Portland Street Response team. This would be a non-law enforcement system of six well-marked mobile response vans teamed with a specially-trained firefighter-EMT and peer support specialist dispatched through both 911 and nonemergency channels. Street Roots explores how these issues are being responded to in Portland and Eugene and how we can build a better system. Read more (PDF)…NOVEMBER 30, 2018When Mental-Health Experts, Not Police, Are the First RespondersThe Wall Street Journal featured CAHOOTS as a model for reducing risk of violence in a November 24, 2018 article by Zusha Elinson.It is included below and as a PDF with permission from the publisher.NOVEMBER 2, 2018CAHOOTS and White Bird Clinic Recognized as “Best Program for the Homeless”We are happy to announce that we received both first and second place recognition for “Best Program for the Homeless” in Eugene Weekly‘s annual 2018 Best of Eugene. CAHOOTS took first place and White Bird Clinic took second. Read more…SEPTEMBER 24, 2018Opiate Overdose ResponseThis past weekend represented an unusually high number of heroin and other opiate overdoses in the Eugene/Springfield area, but these overdoses have been in keeping with recently observed trends. There have been two distinct patterns of heroin and other opiate related overdoses occurring with increased frequency: poly-substance OD’s and fentanyl contaminated OD’s:Poly-substance overdoses present a unique frustration to first-responders because they generally combine opiates, alcohol, and other substances often including benzodiazopenes or other prescription pharmaceuticals, which requires field stabilization and hospital treatment.Fentanyl contamination has been detected in various street drugs and counterfeit prescription medications in the Pacific Northwest, and has been particularly common locally in a strain of heroin that has been encountered by users and first responders in recent weeks.Lane Co. EMS, EPD, SPD, and CAHOOTS all carry the opiate overdose reversing medication Naloxone, commonly referred to by its trade name, Narcan. Naloxone is administered to treat overdose patients presenting with respiratory distress caused by the overdose, the medication enters the respiratory center of the brain stem and flushes neural synapses by out-competing the opiates present in the blood stream to to temporarily reverse respiratory inhibition; for patients whose breathing has ceased Naloxone is frequently administered along with CPR.CAHOOTS, specifically, has not experienced a significant increase in overdose responses, largely because the increased public awareness of the opiate crisis has increased the aggressiveness of EMS and law enforcement responses to these emergencies. White Bird’s main clinic staff including the Crisis Team and Front Rooms/Reception staff have, on the other hand, reported a significant increase in interventions this year, with three incidents of Naloxone and CPR administration in the past 2 months. White Bird has begun the process of standardizing Naloxone training for all staff in addition to First Aid and CPR requirements.Locally, the increased frequency of opiate overdoses has not been accompanied by a proportionate increase in overdose deaths. Increased public awareness has led to increased public involvement, with bystander-administered Naloxone and CPR saving brain tissue and lives prior to professional responders arriving on scene, and with increased awareness of Oregon’s Good Samaritan Law amongst drug users reducing the fear and stigma associated with calling 911 to seek assistance in an emergency.The lives saved have demonstrated the benefits of harm reduction policies:Public health education and outreach efforts increase awareness of the situation, increasing the likelihood of an overdose being recognized and treated.Good Samaritan Laws provide bystanders who interact with law enforcement temporary respite from prosecution, decreasing the likelihood of an overdose patient being abandoned.Broad availability of Naloxone—it is available over-the-counter at most pharmacies free of charge for individuals covered by private insurance or OHP and is also available free of charge along with training through HIV Alliance—increases the likelihood of the medication being available in the event of an emergency.Bystander education including CPR training for community groups and Naloxone administration training for users, their peers, families, and those who work with them facilitates rapid overdose intervention.Aggressive EMS and police responses to overdoses due to their increased public profile decreases the likelihood of overdose patients fleeing the scene of their resuscitation, only to cease breathing again due to lack of follow-up care.The Eugene HIV Alliance, through their syringe exchange program, has made the injectable form of Narcan available. It also provides training to individuals and groups on how to administer it.The syringe exchange is held five days a week at different locations, and the service is free.SEPTEMBER 19, 2018Eugene Out of the Darkness Community WalkWhen you walk in the Out of the Darkness Walks, you join the effort with hundreds of thousands of people to raise awareness and funds that allow the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to invest in new research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss.CAHOOTS will be tabling and answering questions about what services we provide and how to access them. We will also be facilitating a safe space for anyone struggling with emotions in reference to the event.Event DetailsWalk Date: 09/30/2018Walk Location: Alton Baker Park – Eugene, ORCheck-in/Registration Time: 09/30/2018 at 10:00 amWalk Begins: 11:00 amWalk Ends: 1:00 pmFor more information, please contact:Contact Name: Sara ScofieldContact Phone: 541-513-5937Contact Email: [email protected] registration closes at noon (local time) the Friday before the walk. However, anyone who would like to participate can register in person at the walk from the time check-in begins until the walk starts. Registration is free and open to the public. Walk donations are accepted until December 31st.MAY 24, 2018CAHOOTS Receives EPD 2018 Partnership AwardCongratulations to CAHOOTS medic and crisis workers Rose Fenwick and Kimber Hawes, who were honored at a ceremony yesterday by the Eugene Police Department with the 2018 Partnership Award! Thank you for your care and compassion in serving our community.APRIL 11, 2018CAHOOTS Receives 2018 Excellence in Public Health AwardOn April 10th, CAHOOTS was selected by the Lane County Board of Commissioners as a recipient of the 2018 Excellence in Public Health Award. The award was presented during the Commissioners’ meeting to recognize the CAHOOTS team’s work in the field as behavioral health first responders, as well as their efforts in outreach, training, education, and support for individuals and groups throughout the area.FEBRUARY 5, 2018White Bird Crisis Response at Academy of Arts and Academics in SpringfieldFollowing recent events at the Academy of Arts and Academics in Springfield, counselors from CAHOOTS and White Bird Clinic’s Crisis office responded to the school to provide grief and loss counseling to students, staff, and their families. An extension of the weekly Mobile Mental Health Resource Clinic already staffed by members of the CAHOOTS team, these counselors facilitated both individual and group counseling and will continue to work with A3 and the Springfield School District to support everyone affected by this tragedy.CAHOOTS mobile crisis counseling services are available in Springfield 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be requested via Springfield Police non-emergency dispatch at (541)726-3714.Additional crisis support is also available 24/7 by phone at (541)687-4000, or walk-in at White Bird’s Crisis clinic, 341 E. 12th Ave in Eugene.JANUARY 5, 2018Helping People in Crisis: Register-Guard EditoralThe CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) program began in Eugene in 1989 as a collaboration between the city of Eugene and White Bird Clinic.CAHOOTS started small: one van equipped with medical supplies and trained personnel, operating part-time in Eugene. Its mission was simple: to offer help to individuals and families, housed and unhoused, in crisis.The idea was that it would be better — and cheaper — to have people trained and experienced in counseling and medical care to respond to these calls, which had been going to police and fire departments.The wisdom of that decision has been amply borne out since then by CAHOOTS’ exponential growth over the last three decades and the place it has made for itself in the Eugene-Springfield community.It has more than tripled its local presence with two vans in Eugene and one in Springfield, and gone from part-time patrols to 24-7 service.The two-person teams that staff each van respond to an average of about 15 to 16 calls in a 12-hour shift in Eugene, although it can be as many as 25 calls per shift — slightly less in Springfield, CAHOOTS­ employee Brenton Gicker says, which works out to tens of thousands of calls per year.Gicker is a registered nurse and emergency medical technician; his partner on a recent night, Maddy Slayden, is a paramedic.They and their co-workers are a welcome presence on the streets of Eugene-Springfield, greeted with warmth by police officers, with relief by business owners who prefer the option of calling CAHOOTS to calling police, and with respect by the people they help.CAHOOTS is a significant part of the network of organizations and agencies that provide help to the growing number of people who are homeless locally — about half of CAHOOTS’ calls are to help someone who is homeless, ranging in age from children to seniors.The CAHOOTS teams have earned respect in the homeless community not just for the help they provide — from distributing socks and bottles of water to emergency medical care and help accessing resources such as medical treatment and emergency shelter — but by the way they do it.The CAHOOTS employees offer dignity and courtesy, which are often in short supply for people who are homeless.A typical shift — if there were such a thing — for a CAHOOTS team might include responding to a call about a homeless person disrupting a business; working with a family in crisis; helping someone who is suffering from substance abuse, mental illness or developmental disabilities access services and find safe shelter for the night; treating injuries; picking up people who are being discharged from a hospital or clinic with no place to go and taking them to a safe place where they can get help; and responding to a call from a landlord worried about the welfare of a tenant.They are trained to address issues such as mental illness or substance abuse and skilled in coaxing people to agree to get the help they need.Many of their calls involve driving people who are suffering from mental illness or substance abuse to an emergencyroom or, if their problem doesn’t merit medical care, to a safe place to spend the night.Despite more than tripling the size of CAHOOTS in the past few years, the need for its services continues to grow faster than CAHOOTS’­ resources.“I’m frustrated because we can’t be everywhere at once,” Gicker says. “There’s always things we’d like to be involved in, sometimes we don’t have the resources we need, or access to information. I feel like we’re often only scratching the surface.”CAHOOTS is a uniquely local response to local needs — people familiar with the program say they don’t know of anything quite like it elsewhere.Its growth in recent years has shown the need for its service; the response within the community, its ability to meet them given the resources.It’s time to start thinking about expanding a program that has been successful and that serves a need that continues to grow.Ideally, adding another van would be a step toward meeting this growing need, as well as allowing expansion of service to areas such as Santa Clara and Goshen that have few resources. It also would allow CAHOOTS staff to respond more quickly to calls seeking help, reach more people who are in need of help, and spend more time working to connect people with the resources they need.It’s hard to put a dollar value on what CAHOOTS does — how do you determine, for example, how many people didn’t die on the streets because of CAHOOTS? How many people who were able to get help that allowed them to stabilize their lives, or medical care that relieved suffering? How do you quantify exactly how much taxpayer money was saved by using CAHOOTS instead of police or firefighters, or the value to businesses of knowing they can call CAHOOTS for help?But the role the CAHOOTS teams play in Lane County is a critical one, and likely to become even more critical in the coming years.This editorial is part of a Register-Guard series focusing on productive responses to homelessness reposted with permission from http://registerguard.com/rg/opinion/36272835-78/helping-people-in-crisis.html.cspSearchContact UsAdministrative Offices341 E 12th AveEugene, OR 97401(541) [email protected]/7 Crisis Line: 541-687-4000Recent UpdatesOctober Free Vaccine ClinicsOct 15th, 2020Fundraising for White Bird!Oct 6th, 2020New program matches homeowners who have space to share with displaced rentersOct 2nd, 2020Voting When Houseless or Concerned for Personal SafetyOct 1st, 20204 Things to Do Before You DieSep 30th, 2020What is CAHOOTS?Sep 29th, 2020Special Open Enrollment for Health InsuranceSep 25th, 2020CSS’s Neighborhood Hygiene StationSep 23rd, 2020Hearts for Hospice logoWhite Bird End of Life CounselingSep 13th, 2020Crisis Lines for SupportSep 11th, 2020COVID-19Updates from Lane CountyGO TO LANE COUNTY UPDATE PAGEMedical is Accepting New PatientsWe take OHP!Notice of Privacy PracticesEnglishSpanishWeb Site PolicySelect LanguagePowered by Google TranslateTranslateFollow UsFacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedInYouTubeRSS - PostsRSS - CommentsLooking for CAHOOTS?To access CAHOOTS services for mobile crisis intervention, call police non-emergency numbers 541-726-3714 (Springfield) and 541-682-5111 (Eugene).To access our 24/7 Crisis Services Line, call 541-687-4000 or toll-free 1-800-422-7558.© COPYRIGHT WHITE BIRD CLINICWHITE BIRD CLINIC ABOUT CONTACT DONATE GET HELP JOBS SERVICES:)

There are two scenarios in which flight helicopter charges can be ascertained.Individual Insurance (covers accidental/medical evacuation)Not InsurredFor option 1 the Aviation Company works in collaboration with insurance Company and Helicopter will be quite cheaper for patient. Risk level will be quite manageable in this option.Option 2 without Insurance, then it would be quite expensive and will definitely depends upon type of helicopter, distance from / to the hospital, fuel price and maintenance. Risk will be enhanced as individual may not be covered by insurance.Few air ambulance cost are as fol ( Copied From Net):-With Health Insurance: $50-$500+Without Health Insurance: $2,000-$200,000An air ambulance is a specially equipped and staffed helicopter or airplane that performs emergency or scheduled transports.Typical costs:Air ambulance service typically is covered by health insurance in certain types of emergencies or if a doctor certifies that air transport is medically necessary, and if a patient is going to the nearest appropriate facility. If transport is being done for convenience, such as to relocate nearer to family, it might not be covered. For example, BlueCross Blue Shield of Alabama[1] covers air transport on many of its policies, including transportation to a hospital near home for patients injured or hospitalized more than 200 miles from home. For patients with health insurance, out-of-pocket costs typically consist of a copay of less than $50 to $500 or more, or coinsurance of 10 % to 50% or more for a total that could reach the yearly out-of-pocket maximum.For patients without health insurance, the cost of air ambulance service typically depends on: the current cost of jet fuel, the type of aircraft used, the distance flown and the type of medical staff required. The total can be less than $2,000 for a short flight to almost $50,000 for a longer domestic flight to $200,000 or more for an international flight. For example, Air Ambulance 1[2] charges about $2,500 for a 55-mile flight on a twin-engine propeller plane, staffed by paramedics, from Saint Joseph, MO, to Kansas City, MO. Air Ambulance 1 charges about $25,000 for a flight on a light jet, staffed by paramedics, from Kansas City to Los Angeles. National Air Ambulance charges about $37,400 for a flight from New York to California staffed by a nurse and paramedic. For a flight from Arizona to Australia, Air Ambulance 1 charges about $155,000 on a light jet, if staffed by paramedics (about $160,000 if staffed by a doctor and nurse) or about $177,000 on a mid-sized jet (about $182,000 if staffed by a doctor and nurse).What should be included:If planned in advance, an air ambulance service should include a pre-flight medical evaluation and consultation with the patient's physician to determine the equipment and care needed during the flight.The flight typically takes place on a helicopter, a propeller plane, or a jet that is equipped with a flight stretcher and advanced life-support equipment, including oxygen, a ventilator, monitors, a defibrillator, IV equipment and other medical supplies. Typically, at least one family member may accompany the patient at no extra charge.Additional costs:Some companies do not include ground ambulance transport from the current facility to the aircraft and from the landing location to the new facility.Arranging an air ambulance flight through a broker can add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the final cost due to commissions paid to the broker. Or, a service such as Air Ambulance Jobs | Air medical job services provides price quotes from various companies for free.Discounts:Many air ambulance services offer discounts to patients who are flexible; most commonly, if one patient is flying from one city to another, and another is flying back to the city of origin, both patients can be offered discounts of 30% or more.For fairly stable patients, a specially trained medical escort, usually a paramedic or nurse, can accompany the patient on a commercial flight for a fraction of the cost of an air ambulance. Mercy Medical Angels[3] lists organizations that help patients in need secure air ambulance servMaterial on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.Recent Comments by PeopleEmergency Air EvacuationAmount: $523,000.00Posted by: Lee ColemanFrom: Charlotte Amalia, St. Thomas, VI, MDPosted On: January 27th, 2017 07:01PMType of Aircraft: Lear JetMedical Personnel: Nurse, ParamedicCost was astronomical. Estimate was cost per nautical mile so useless. Flight went from St. Thomas, VI, to Ft. Lauderdale, to Teterboro, NJ, to BWI,Air Ambulance bill is excessiveAmount: $34,000.00Posted by: CNBFrom: Gulf Breeze, FLPosted On: December 30th, 2016 04:12AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: ParamedicsMy daughter fell and hit her head causing her to lose consciousness. The hospital was less than 10 miles away by car, but because we would have to cross a bridge, a helicopter was used. We were billed almost $37,000 for the flight. BC/BS of Florida paid $4500. Air Methods is balance billing me more than $32,000.Way too much for 30 minute rideAmount: $40,810.00Posted by: Jordon BruceFrom: Fredericksburg, VAPosted On: December 6th, 2016 10:12AMType of Aircraft: AirmedicalMedical Personnel: 1I was in an auto accident in Fredericksburg va. I had an open book pelvic fracture which mary washington hospital said they couldnt do the prosedure so they said i had to be helivacd to vcu hospital in richmond va to get the surgery. If i knew it was going to cost 41k i would of told them to send me in an ambulance.Outrageous Cost by Flight for LifeAmount: $75,000.00Posted by: Royally Screwed in PAFrom: Philadelphia suburbs, PAPosted On: November 22nd, 2016 09:11PMType of Aircraft: Medical HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2One hospital told me I had to go to the other hospital (5 miles away!!, literally the next town over), because the first hospital does not have a cardiac center equipped to deal with my problem. The doctor said I had to be transported ASAP to the second hospital, and could not travel by ground ambulance. After arriving in ICU, I learned that 1) I could have waited -- it was NOT as critical as I was told, and 2) that same 1st hospital sent another patient to ICU where I was that same night, also by medical helicopter. I heard ICU medical personnel outside my room discussing the bizarre situations entering their ICU.AirliftAmount: $51,000.00Posted by: Cynthia Campbell-WoltersFrom: Fredericksburg, TXPosted On: November 16th, 2016 07:11AMType of Aircraft:Medical Personnel: 1 nurse, 1 pilotMy husband had a seizure at home one morning in Fredericksburg, TX. I called 911 and they sent an ambulance. At the hospital he had a CAT scan. The ER Dr. said it showed a bleed in his brain. He said they needed to Airlift him to San Antonio to the Trauma Center. It was an 18 min flight. It is a 40-50 minute drive by car at 80mph on I-10. At trauma the neurologist told us that it was just a bad CAT scan. We had just changed Insurance companies because we were self-employed and uninsurable in Texas. Both companies we had been with for many years pulled out. The new company paid $1000.00. Now we are left with a $49978.22 bill. $27373.60 for the helicopter and $23605.12 for fuel. For an 18 minute flight. 61 miles. We are desperately trying to figure out how to pay this.In shockAmount: $59,695.00Posted by: AndrewinshockFrom: Sryacuse, NYPosted On: October 20th, 2016 07:10PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2 EMTsI was taken to the hospital for 2nd and 3rd degree burns. I told the local emergency that I dint want to take a helicopter bc I couldn't afford the cost. I had figured the cost was high but had no idea it would cost $60,000 for a 25 min flight. I have been researching the cost of fuel and the personnel payroll to man one of thes helicopters and I can see no way of how they can charge so much. I'm going to fight this has anyone else done the same with any good results?air medthodsAmount: $51,867.00Posted by: gizmoFrom: akron, OHPosted On: September 19th, 2016 12:09PMType of Aircraft: helicoptormMedical Personnel: 2My husband was transported by rocky mountain holdings air meds because of a brain bleed. It eas only a 40 mile flight. They charged 51,867 dollars.Our insurance paid 12,591 dollars said that is reasonable and customary. They are billing me 38,690. Can anyone help to let me know what to do next. Is this something that is legal.Should i get an attorney or just refuse to pay.Cost of air ambulanceAmount: $32,185.81Posted by: MilosFrom: Dyer IN, INPosted On: September 6th, 2016 03:09PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2My son (2yo) took a fall on Christmas even and was taken to local emergency room where we found out he had epidural hematoma (cracked skull). He was rushed to a local Chicago children's hospital, 27 miles away, to undergo an emergency procedure. Thank God and great doctors and nurses, he has made a full recovery. My insurance has covered $19,236, and Arch Air Medical is billing me directly for the remaining balance of $12, 949.81. Arch air has turned me over to a collection agency, which in turn has ruined my credit. Can anyone help?Air Ambulance from Fresno, CA to San Francisco, CA(400 miles or so)Amount: $0.00Posted by: Kathleen TrippFrom: Fresno, AZPosted On: July 24th, 2016 09:07AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: Air MedicsI am so sorry what everyone is going through with costs and it is scary.... My husband had to be transported due to catastrophic liver failure in 2006 it was PHI Air the cost was just about $17,000 our group health insurance Aetna at the time before Obamacare paid 100%... My brother in law worked for PHI and they said if ins. didn't pay bill they would eat the cost.... Great owners of PHI. Granted brother in law worked for them and they wanted to save his brother but.... We just had our 10 yr. liver tranplant anniversary......I would recommend not ever paying the balances when you can't afford it, or check into an emergency medical plan that may cover that, or confirm the ins. has paid all they are going to, and last but not least check into filing bankruptcy to see if you can get out of the debt.... If you can't file bankruptcy then offer to send payments of $10.00 a month or something and then of course you will never pay it off since you are broke....Even with insurance looking at going brokeAmount: $55,000.00Posted by: Broke and confused.From: Rock Springs, WYPosted On: August 30th, 2015 07:08PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2Recently on a camping vacation my 11 year old became very sick. Took him to the closest hospital. Found out he is type 1 diabetic. Was very sick and had to be flown from Rock Springs WY, to Salt Lake City, UT. 185 mile on the ground. BCBS sent me a check for $30,800 dollars? This way it gets them out of negotiations leaving me stuck in the middle. Air Medics wants me to sign over that check in addition to paying the remaining $24,200. There is no breakdown of cost, just a number they pull out of the air. Outside of the medical industry it would be consider extortion and potentially land them in prison. Not sure what to do next?Flight for Life - CO to NMAmount: $47,000.00Posted by: a user in Durango, CO.Posted On: August 28th, 2015 03:08PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 2Flight for life transported my baby girl from Durango, CO to Albuquerque, NM during a medical emergency. ~150 miles. Talk about excessive!Cost of air ambulanceAmount: $54,999.00Posted by: a user in Hazard, KY.Posted On: August 4th, 2015 04:08PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: Pilot and 2 medical personnel115 miles from ER in my small town to university hospital. My son had an avulsion amputation (index finger). No price on best care for my children but I did not dream it would cost $55,000!! WOW!!! July 2015, no option for current year below.Emergency air flightAmount: $31,500.00Posted by: Just wanted a ride not to purchaseFrom: Livingston, MTPosted On: June 21st, 2015 07:06AMType of Aircraft: twin propMedical Personnel: 2Friday night stroke @ 6pm. Drove myself 4 blocks to hospital @ 9pm. Dr. determined to send me to hospital 130mi away. Local ambulance service only had one crew available and could not dispatch. Waited about 2 hours for air ambulance to arrive and then it was a 24 min flight to destination. Valley Med Flight billing $31,500. EBMS paid $6,900. REALLY?! Anyone like to buy a used kidney?Arch Air Medical Service in MissouriAmount: $45,537.50Posted by: Juell BrandtFrom: Nevada, MOPosted On: June 20th, 2015 06:06AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: paramedicsMy 89 year old mom was in the nursing home when she became more ill with heart disease. The local ER doctor decided to life flight her 60 miles to Joplin. They stabilized her with medications in the bigger hospital.She passed away a few months later in the local hospital. Her insurance is paying $27,592.50 of the life flight bill, but disallowed $17945.00. They are leaving her owing $22083.88. I want to know what can they do to me since she is passed away. The is an old house that she owned, so I guess they can put a lien on it and take it as there is no way we can pay this bill. Nothing else was in her name. It is outrageous to be charged $45000 for a 60 mile flight. Unacceptable practices... why can't someone stop them?cost of air ambulance New York to Los AngelesAmount: $21,000.00Posted by: JClark in Los Angeles, CaFrom: Los Angeles, CAPosted On: June 11th, 2015 10:06AMType of Aircraft: JetMedical Personnel: 3 - Pilot, Nurse, ParamedicTransported from New York to Los Angeles using a Jet from Angel MedFlight. This was the lowest price I could find at $21,000. I thought it was a good price, which is why I went with them.$1,000 per mileAmount: $47,000.00Posted by: R. Beck USA ret. medicFrom: Akron, Ohio, OHPosted On: April 21st, 2015 06:04PMType of Aircraft: helicopterMedical Personnel: ? RNLast summer my 88 y.o. mother was aerovac’d by chopper from Akron Gen to their owner, the Cleveland Clinic, about 47 miles away. She was billed for $1000 per mile, i.e. $47,000. Once she was in C.C. they treated her with drugs only, as if A.G. didn’t know how to do that for her. AG is one of the best voted hospitals in Ohio. I wonder if the aeromedic company gives AG a kick back for the business?excessive cost of air ambulanceAmount: $39,000.00Posted by: a user in harrison, AR.Posted On: April 11th, 2015 08:04AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 1 pilot, 1 medicI delivered my wife to the heliport during a major heart attack, she was flown by "Air Evac Life Team" of Arkansas 45 mi. and charged $50,302.56. "Blue cross Blue Shield" paid $5,460.00 and life flight expects me to pay the balance. "Air Evac Life Team" is charging approx. $1,000.00 per mile. After paying $150.00 a year for the last 7 years to be a member Air Evac Lifeteam Orginazation??? What is the point of being a member if your charged "TWICE the national average for their service????Way over pricedAmount: $43,000.00Posted by: Jeff RFrom: Marengo, ILPosted On: March 9th, 2015 10:03AMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: 3They believed I had an infection in my appendix so I was flown about a half hour from Marengo, IL to Elgin,IL my insurance said I didn't need to go by air so they are covering nothingCost of air ambulance helicopter- covered by MEDI-CALAmount: $52,000.00Posted by: Lisa CheekFrom: San Luis Obispo, CAPosted On: January 30th, 2015 11:01PMType of Aircraft: HelicopterMedical Personnel: paramedics??? unsureSan luis Obispo CA to Fresno CA.APROX (150 miles in a car). When i woke up in ICU 12 hrs later...doctors thought I had a hole in my heart. Said I had 19 min til the helicopter was picking me up. Brought my day ND a half old newborn to me, had to leave her there.Don't Pay Anything If You Have InsuanceAmount: $24,000.00Posted by: No GoFrom: St augustine, FLPosted On: December 30th, 2014 08:12AMType of Aircraft:Medical Personnel: Air MethodsMy husband had an accident and was life-flighted 34 miles to the trauma center. Our insurance BCBS paid 5,000 which was the max benefit. Afterwards Air Methods wanted to balance bill us for the remainder. That's illegal in the state of Florida because the air transport agreed to the contractual amount from the insurance, but that didn't stop them from trying for two years to get the balance. I'm filing a complaint with the state attorney general now to see if that department can get this company to back off of this activity.air ambulance in mississippiAmount: $32,000.00Posted by: JohnKFrom: Hattiesburg, MSPosted On: October 20th, 2014 11:10AMType of Aircraft: light helicopterMedical Personnel: 1Short ride from Picayune, MS to Hattiesburg, MS (about 18min) cost over $32K after BCBS payment. This was not a dedicated air ambulance either, they had taken out one of the pilot seats and stuffed me in there. I have not paid these people yet, that is why I am looking at the net for excessive charging.cost of air ambulanceAmount: $33,384.90Posted by: going broke at 63From: chickasha, OKPosted On: September 21st, 2014 09:09AMType of Aircraft: helicopterMedical Personnel: twoTransported 44 miles from hospital to hospital. the cost for the ride $33,384.90. BlueCross of Oklahoma paid $4142.61 Air Methods is balance billing me $29,242.29. The ground transport to and from the same place is about a one hour drive.The ground ambulance cost is about $ 2000.00.It will take every penny I have to pay this. The stress of negotiating with Air Methods is onerous. At 63 years old I have no chance to financially recover from this expense.