Friend and colleague Dr. Suzanne Wedel, CEO of Boston MedFlight, passes away

April 04, 2016 Updated:
A service in celebration of Suzanne’s life will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Old North Church in Marblehead, MA (35 Washington Street, Marblehead).  
 
Many have thoughtfully inquired about honoring Suzanne’s memory with a gift to Boston MedFlight, and, at the request of her family, the Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel Memorial Fund has been established at Boston MedFlight.  Those interested in making a gift in Suzanne’s memory may do so by clicking here, or by mailing a check to the address below. 
 
 
On March 30, 2016, the Boston MedFlight community lost a dear friend and colleague when Dr. Suzanne Wedel, CEO of Boston MedFlight, passed away following a long battle with cancer. 
 
Born in North Newton, Kansas, Dr. Wedel’s father taught mathematics at nearby Bethel College, and her mother was a nurse.  Following undergraduate studies at Bethel College, Dr. Wedel attended the School of Medicine at Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, where she also completed a residency in internal medicine.  Dr. Wedel then went to the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services in Baltimore for more training, and it was there that she met her future husband, Dr. Alasdair Conn.  Together they would later become loving parents to three children.
 
Dr. Wedel joined Boston MedFlight in 1989 when her husband, Dr. Conn, who had become the organization’s founding Executive Director in 1985, moved on to Massachusetts General Hospital to become Chief of Emergency Services.  At the time, Dr. Wedel was working in surgical critical care at what is now Boston Medical Center, and agreed to become Boston MedFlight’s interim CEO and Medical Director while the organization conducted a national search to fill the position.  That “interim” position would become her life’s work, as she very capably led Boston MedFlight for the next 27 years.
 
Dr. Wedel was a strong advocate of critical care transport as a specialty and was a recognized expert in her field.  A career intensivist, she helped create the industry in which she became so well-known, working tirelessly to help bring tertiary-quality care out to critically ill and injured patients, where and when they need it.  She was passionate about high quality patient care in a safe environment for patients and crews.  She cared deeply about the critical care transport system, but equally she cared deeply for every single patient.  For every patient we care for, Dr. Wedel believed what was paramount was expressing human compassion for patients and patient families who, in many cases, are experiencing the worst day of their lives when they meet us.  Dr. Wedel embodied this belief, and she helped Boston MedFlight embody it, too; the fact that so many of our past patients speak specifically about the kindness they were shown while in our care is something that made her proud.  She highly valued each member of the Boston MedFlight team and the role every individual team member plays in enabling us to fulfill our mission every day.
 
Suzanne was a beloved friend, skilled physician, and tremendous leader, and she will be missed by all of us.  She was ever-positive and optimistic and she held a deep belief in Boston MedFlight’s past, present and, most importantly, future.  The Boston MedFlight team is inspired to continue her legacy by serving our patients with expert care and compassion.
 
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, gifts in Suzanne’s memory can be made to the Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel Memorial Fund at Boston MedFlight by clicking here or by mailing a check to the address below, or to the Suzanne Wedel XOXOut Ovarian Cancer Fund by clicking here.
  
Boston MedFlight
150 Hanscom Drive
Bedford, MA  01730