History of UMass Memorial Lifeflight
Lifeflight was New England's first hospital-based air ambulance. Since its founding in 1982, Lifeflight has transported more than 26,000 patients in a geographic area that extends from Southern Connecticut to New Hampshire and from Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York.
The Lifeflight program began at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center on September 15th 1982. It was only the 42nd hospital-based helicopter in the country. The Lifeflight crew consisted then, as it does now, of a pilot, a flight nurse, and an emergency medicine physician.
Through the years, Lifeflight has utilized several different aircraft, each successively more advanced and specialized to meet the ever-changing and challenging requirements of critical care transport. The original aircraft was a Bell Long Ranger which was upgraded to a BO 105 in the summer of 1984, later upgraded in 1986 to a Eurocopter BK 117. In 2006 the program upgraded to one of the latest advances in air medical transportation technology, a Eurocopter EC145, and finally, as of August 2011, a Eurocopter EC135T2+. Click here to see our New England Cable News feature introducing our new helicopter which aired on August 24th, 2011.
Lifeflight remains an integral part of the education of physicians in Central Massachusetts. The Emergency Medicine Residency Training Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is a fully accredited 3-year residency, approved by the Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine since 1986. Twelve candidates are accepted into the program each year. The program requires 36 months for completion. Emergency medicine residents acquire a significant portion of their EMS training while serving as Flight Physicians. Attending staff and EMS fellows also participate as Flight Physicians providing education and program direction.
The aviation component of the program was originally operated by Omniflight Helicopters, then by Rocky Mountain Helicopters, and now, following the acquisition of Rocky Mountain Helicopters, by Air Methods Corporation. Air Methods is the nation's largest provider of air medical emergency transport services and systems. The company is dedicated exclusively to critical care transport, focusing on the quality of care to patients and safety in aviation operations. Established in 1980, the company transports more than 84,000 patients annually who require intensive medical care from either the scene of an accident or general care hospitals to highly skilled trauma centers or tertiary care centers. Air Methods operates a fleet of more than 340 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in over 40 states and is headquartered in Englewood, Colo. They are UMass Memorial's partner of choice for aviation and transport services.
The current in service aircraft, a Eurocopter EC135T2+ is among the most advanced medical helicopters available. The newer helicopter has a compact design, advanced night vision (NVIS) and terrain awareness (TAWS) technology, is more fuel efficient, is 50 percent quieter due to the enclosed Fenestron tail rotor, and has lower maintenance and operation costs than previous helicopters that we have utilized.
UMass Memorial Lifeflight celebrates our 30th Anniversary in 2012!
To Request Lifeflight call (800) 322-4354
Click here to learn more about how to prepare your patient for transport by air or ground..
