front page of the Bangor Daily News, April 7, 1998

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from LifeFlight of Maine

October 2023

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Dispatches – 25th Anniversary Issue

Dispatches – 25th Anniversary Issue

These stories appeared in our 25th Anniversary issue of Dispatches, a publication of The LifeFlight Foundation,

Click here to download this issue as a pdf.

Archival image of Lifeflight crew on a mission

Then and Now: 1998-2023

by Tom Judge

We started LifeFlight with a vision, a set of design principles, and a simple sheet of instructions…

The instructions were short and to the point on a white sheet of paper: never compromise safety, build a world-class system, and operate economically. With initial funding from Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (now Northern Light Health) and Central Maine Healthcare, we built a world-class air medical system to support Maine’s emergency medical services (EMS) and hospitals.

A Second Chance on Life: Stories from LifeFlight Patients

Over the past 25 years, LifeFlight has cared for more than 37,000 patients. Working together with our EMS and hospital emergency and intensive care providers, we work to change time and geography, to reset the clock for a patient suddenly in need with their life at stake. Here are three vignettes out of thousands of LifeFlight stories through the years.

Archival image of Lifeflight crew on a mission

Treat Everyone like Your Mother: 25 Years from the Crew’s Perspective

The culture of excellence at LifeFlight is palpable in every single crew member. It is their dedication to their colleagues and to their patients that sets them apart.

The original “Charlie Mike” landing at Central Maine Medical Center for the very first time, 1999.

Public Investment in Critical Care

Significant public investment in medical and aviation infrastructure across Maine has made LifeFlight safer and more reliable.

Tom Judge, Norm Dinerman, MD, and members of the LifeFlight of Maine team at the Maine EMS Governor’s Award Ceremony in Bangor, June 2023.

Tom Judge: Vision, Innovation, and Leadership

Tom Judge is the founding executive director of LifeFlight of Maine. In October 2023, he stepped back from this role to serve LifeFlight and the people of Maine in other ways.

Rotor wing pilot Kirk Donovan with a young LifeFlight supporter.

Powered by the People of Maine

More than 16,000 donors have contributed over $41M to LifeFlight to purchase and maintain its fleet of flying ICUs. Each gift serves as a tangible sign that after 25 years, LifeFlight has truly become an indelible part of what makes Maine so special.

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