Mercy Flights has been selected by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) for a Catalyst Grant Award through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to support its In-Home Emergency Care with Medical Transport to Alternate Destinations initiative. The award period extends from July 1, 2026, through September 30, 2028.
The grant will support Mercy Flights’ efforts to expand innovative healthcare delivery models that provide patients with timely, appropriate care in the most suitable setting. Through In-Home Emergency Care, specially trained clinicians can assess and treat eligible patients in their homes and help connect them to alternative care destinations when emergency department services are not required. A key component of this model is Mercy Flights’ partnership with instED, whose nurse navigation services, telehealth physician support, and tech-enabled care coordination capabilities help create a more seamless continuum of care. Together, the organizations are working to ensure patients receive the right level of care in the right setting while improving access to healthcare throughout southern Oregon.
“This award reflects the growing recognition that healthcare can be delivered in new and innovative ways that improve patient outcomes while strengthening our healthcare system,” said Sheila M. Clough, CEO of Mercy Flights. “We are honored to be selected by the Oregon Health Authority and grateful for the many partners who have worked alongside us to make this vision a reality.”
The project aligns with Oregon’s broader goals of improving access to care, reducing barriers for patients, supporting rural and underserved communities, and ensuring healthcare resources are used effectively. By providing care in patients’ homes and facilitating connections to appropriate services, the program aims to improve the patient experience and reduce unnecessary utilization of emergency departments.
In addition to receiving a Catalyst Grant Award, Mercy Flights has also been selected to participate in OHA’s EMS Overdose Reversal Pilot through the Rural Health Transformation Program’s Wave 2 Immediate Impact Awards. This significant statewide investment will support the development of innovative EMS models that allow clinicians to initiate buprenorphine treatment in the field following an overdose and connect patients to ongoing treatment and recovery services. Together, these awards represent a substantial investment in Mercy Flights and its partners and underscore the organization’s growing role in healthcare transformation, advancing innovative solutions that improve access to care, strengthen community health outcomes, and help shape the future of healthcare delivery in Oregon.
Mercy Flights emphasized that these accomplishments are the result of extensive collaboration among healthcare providers, hospitals, public safety agencies, community organizations, and regional stakeholders throughout southern Oregon. Partners have helped identify community needs, develop innovative care pathways, and build the relationships necessary to support a more connected and patient-centered healthcare system.
“We could not have reached these milestones without the support and collaboration of our community and healthcare partners,” Clough said. “These investments reflect what can be accomplished when organizations come together around a shared commitment to improving health outcomes, expanding access to care, and creating innovative solutions for the communities we serve.”
“Mercy Flights has a long history of championing the impacts of care in place, and we admire their leadership in rural health innovation,” said Don Stiffler, CEO of instED. “We’re proud to work alongside them to serve Oregonians through this program.”
The In-Home Emergency Care initiative builds upon Mercy Flights’ longstanding commitment to innovation in emergency medical services, community paramedicine, and mobile integrated healthcare. Through partnerships such as instED and collaborations across the healthcare continuum, the program is designed to help patients receive the right care, at the right time, and in the right place while supporting a more sustainable healthcare delivery system for the region.
About Mercy Flights
Mercy Flights is a nonprofit provider of air and ground emergency medical services serving Southern Oregon and Northern California. For more than 75 years, Mercy Flights has provided lifesaving transport, emergency response, mobile integrated healthcare services, community health programs, and patient-centered innovations that improve healthcare access throughout the region.
About instED
instED provides on-demand, integrated episodic care in the comfort and convenience of a patient’s home. instED’s network of highly trained paramedics, physicians and nurses deliver high-quality and compassionate care for patients with complex health needs. instED’s innovative care model is backed by a proprietary technology platform that enables real-time communication between all decentralized care components, including longitudinal care teams. By offering an alternative to the Emergency Department (ED) when care can be safely delivered in place, instED increases patients’ access to care while reducing strain on overburdened EMS agencies and overcrowded EDs.
