Why Leslie and Shawn Anderson Support LifeFlight
Leslie and Shawn Anderson have both a professional and a personal connection to LifeFlight of Maine. The couple is originally from Caribou, where for years Leslie served as the chief operating officer at Cary Medical Center. Her husband, Shawn, was the chief executive officer at Houlton Regional Hospital.
Photos: Leslie’s father, Nathan Randolph (left); Shawn and Leslie Anderson; courtesy of Leslie and Shawn Anderson
During their time working in northern Maine hospitals, both Leslie and Shawn regularly saw LifeFlight crews at their facilities, caring for some of Maine’s most critically ill and injured patients.
“I think they do an incredible job serving the needs of Aroostook County. We have some pretty fragile patients who come in and need to get to Bangor or south of Bangor quickly, and we rely on LifeFlight to make that happen,” said Leslie.
As hospital administrators, Leslie and Shawn both served as members on the Trauma Advisory Committee for the state, where they learned more about the critical role LifeFlight plays in Maine’s healthcare system. Their decision to support LifeFlight as donors, however, was a personal one.
“Professionally, we knew the importance of the work that LifeFlight does, but we experienced it personally in a way that was just second to none. Compassionate, caring, but caring for the whole family, not just the patient. And it was striking to us. That’s what led us to agree that we wanted to be part of it,” said Shawn.
In 2018, Leslie’s father, Nathan Randolph, had a significant medical event at his home. He went into cardiac arrest and was taken to the local hospital.
LifeFlight was called to transport the 77-year-old to a higher level of care than was available in Caribou. However, after assessing Nathan’s condition at the hospital, the LifeFlight medical team determined a transport may not be the best option for Nathan or his family.
The flight paramedic explained to Leslie and her family that while the crew would do everything they could to care for Nathan during his transport to Bangor, he likely wouldn’t survive the trip. The flight paramedic gently and compassionately suggested that Nathan could stay in the hospital in Caribou, where he could be with loved ones during his final moments.
“The flight paramedic could have avoided that whole emotional piece and loaded up the patient, knowing he was probably going to pass away, and let somebody else deal with it,” said Leslie. “He didn’t do that. He took the time to come into the family room and sit down with us and explain to us what our options were. He was very honest, but at the same time very compassionate, especially toward my mother. I think that’s what endeared LifeFlight to us.”
The kindness of the LifeFlight crew still sticks with the Andersons seven years later. It’s one of the reasons they decided to give back to the organization that they say treated their family with the utmost respect during some of their most difficult moments.
The Andersons recently donated to LifeFlight’s “Greatest Need Fund.” This allows the LifeFlight Foundation to respond to urgent and emergent needs from LifeFlight of Maine, which is especially important given the complexity and financial reality of LifeFlight’s work, as well as its commitment to continual improvement.
About a year and a half ago, the couple moved to Falmouth, where Leslie opened her own business. She is now an independent contractor and grant writer for healthcare organizations across the country. Shawn is president of Medical Mutual Insurance Company of Maine.
The Andersons say they hear the helicopter fly over their home in southern Maine often. It’s a reminder to them of the respect and compassion their family once received, and a source of hope for other families in Maine who need the same services.
