Why We’re Different

LifeFlight of Maine is a unique nonprofit air medical organization and is corporately configured more similarly to air medical programs in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and parts of Europe, rather than other programs in the United States. 

LifeFlight always chooses patients over profits. 

LifeFlight is the ONLY medical entity that serves every community and hospital in Maine. Owned by a consortium of nonprofit healthcare systems including Northern Light Health and Central Maine Healthcare, LifeFlight is operated as an independent business unit. LifeFlight has special relationships with Maine’s Trauma and Tertiary Medical Centers: Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center (Bangor), Central Maine Medical Center (Lewiston), and Maine Medical Center (Portland). 

LifeFlight is supported by the LifeFlight Foundation, an independent nonprofit, as well as communities across the state. The Foundation supports capital needs and operations for aircraft, complex medical technology, aviation infrastructure, clinical education, and research. 

LifeFlight is nationally and internationally recognized for innovation, community service, safety, and quality. Fully accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, LifeFlight has worked closely with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board to develop safe operations along with providing leadership to the Association of Critical Care Transport, a patient advocacy organization that publishes critical care transport standards.  

LifeFlight is cost-efficient with among the lowest charges and operating costs per care and transport in the country.  LifeFlight participates with Medicare, MaineCare, and contracts with major health insurance companies in the state. It benchmarks its patient charges to be in the lowest decile across the country while benchmarking operating and clinical performance to the top decile of international air medical programs. The gap between is managed by very lean and efficient operations with support from communities and the LifeFlight Foundation.