Updates from the Flightdeck, April 2025
Welcome to our Spring 2025 issue of Dispatches!
In an emergency, a good plan drives performance. At LifeFlight of Maine, we invest heavily in being prepared and remain committed to continuous improvement. We constantly work to refine the things we already do well, and we seek feedback earnestly from our team members, peers, and patients to identify opportunities for growth.
The stories in this issue speak to our commitment to planning, preparation, and continual improvement — all of which we do for the safety of our teams and the care of our patients. You will read about how LifeFlight clinicians see themselves, their work, and the patients entrusted to their care, told in a personal story written by one of our flight nurses. You will read about Oliver White, the infant son of an Air National Guard pilot whose first flight was in the back of a LifeFlight helicopter; that flight also happened to be LifeFlight of Maine’s 40,000th patient transport.
You will hear about the generosity of people like Leslie and Shawn Anderson, who witnessed LifeFlight’s crew at their best, despite challenging circumstances, and have invested in making sure those crew members have what they need to be there for other patients and their families. You will learn about Linda Varrell, who as a LifeFlight Foundation board member generously contributes her time and expertise to help ensure LifeFlight is ready to meet the challenges we face today and prepare for those that lie ahead.
You’ll gain a better understanding of how LifeFlight of Maine has evolved over the years to provide critical care transport by helicopter, airplane, and ground ambulance, and how each mode has distinct advantages and challenges depending on the patient and circumstances. Finally, you will read about the work the LifeFlight team is doing to improve access to care across Maine by building up a database of pre-determined temporary landing areas and working with local EMS and first responder services to ensure patients facing a life-threatening medical emergency can get the care they need as quickly as possible.
We are proud of the LifeFlight team, humbled by their compassion and commitment to excellence, and honored to be trusted by so many patients, families, partners, and communities. We strive every day to be worthy of that trust, and to be even better tomorrow.
– Joe Kellner, CEO, LifeFlight of Maine
– Kate O’Halloran, Executive Director, The LifeFlight Foundation
