We want to be the best thing that happens on the worst day of your life.

A call comes in and within 10 minutes a Boston MedFlight critical care team is in an aircraft or ground vehicle. We’ve been briefed, we know the patient’s condition, but there’s no such thing as a routine mission. We must be prepared for anything.

After every transport however, one thing is always the same. We know we’ve done something important. We’ve made a real difference in someone’s life. How many people get to say that when they finish work every day?

Highly skilled and experienced, our teams could have chosen a different, less intensive medical career. Each of us has our own way of explaining why we didn’t:

“We flew a 40-year-old patient who was so sick. We got him out of the woods, intubated him and took him to the O.R. He made this big turnaround. One day, one of my co-workers saw him out and about. The patient said, ‘All I knew is I could feel how hard they were working on me…’  We work very hard and when you see a patient come through and know that you were a part of their recovery—it’s very humbling and gratifying.”

Tammi Wallace-Wood, Critical Care Transport Nurse/Float Base Mgr.

At Boston MedFlight, we give 150% to every mission and every patient. It isn’t easy. The hours can be long and unpredictable. Our families are never quite sure when we’re coming home. On the other hand, the rewards and satisfaction of the job far outweigh the sacrifice.

“I wholeheartedly believe in the mission and consider myself lucky to be part of such a highly trained team. To be able to learn from each other and make a difference… It’s just so rewarding. For me, this is what I really wanted to do. If I had to describe it in one word I would have to say I’m ‘fortunate.’ Not many people can honestly say they’re doing exactly what they were meant to do.”

Mark Saia, Critical Care Transport Specialist

Every year, our two-person, nurse/paramedic teams transport approximately 5,600 critically ill or injured patients to lifesaving tertiary care. Of course, they don’t do it alone. The pilots of our aircraft and the EMTs that drive our ground vehicles are also critical members of our Boston MedFlight crews. They, in turn, are supported by a dedicated staff of mechanics and technicians whose constant attention keeps the vehicles safe and in excellent working order.

“I think Boston MedFlight is unique. Our training budget is one of the highest in the country. We send all our pilots to the helicopter manufacturer’s factory for the best classroom and simulator training.
There are a lot of organizations out there that do a lot of talking about safety but this organization really, truly, lives it, breathes it.” 

Mark Onorato, Director of Aviation Operations

We depend on each other not only to provide patients with the best possible care, but for our own safety, too. We simply wouldn’t be as good as we are without the total trust we have in each other. Most of our patients probably don’t understand this. But that trust is something we’re grateful for during every mission.