Air ambulance company Air Medical Group Holdings has acquired rurally focused Reach Medical Holdings, parent to Reach Air Medical Services, Santa Rosa, Calif., for undisclosed terms, Reach Medical announced (PDF).

Reach, which has 18 bases of operation in California, Oregon and Texas, will be the fourth ambulance company owned by Air Medical Group Holdings, the others being Air Evac Lifeteam, West Plains, Mo., Med-Trans Corp., Dallas, and EagleMed of Wichita, Kan., according to the release.

The argument for the use of air ambulances in rural areas has been bolstered by a study released earlier this year, though questions remain about air ambulance safety.