Boston MedFlight 2020 Annual Report by Boston MedFlight

1985 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

2020

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ann Prestipino, MPH CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Senior Vice President, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts General Physicians Organization Jayne Carvelli-Sheehan, MSN, R.N., CS VICE CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Senior Vice President, MSK Network Development Beth Israel Lahey Health Brien Barnewolt, MD TREASURER, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chairman and Chief Department of Emergency Medicine Tufts Medical Center Alastair Bell, MD CLERK, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chief Operating Officer Boston Medical Center Alasdair K. Conn, MD CHAIR EMERITUS, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chief Emeritus, Department of Emergency Medicine Massachusetts General Hospital Peter Burke, MD Chief, Trauma Services Boston Medical Center Charles H. Cook, MD Division Chief, Acute Care Surgery, Trauma, and Surgical Critical Care Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School Monica Kleinman, MD Medical Director, Critical Care Transport Program, Division of Critical Care Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital Patricia (Tish) McMullin, JD Executive Director Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals Ali Salim, MD Division Chief, Trauma, Burn, and Surgical Critical Care Brigham and Women’s Hospital Professor, Harvard Medical School

A MESSAGE FROM CEO MAURA HUGHES Greetings from Boston MedFlight. I hope that you and your loved ones have remained safe and healthy during what continues to be a difficult time. Boston MedFlight’s 2019-2020 fiscal year was marked by both milestones and challenges. Early in 2020, we were barely two months into our 35th year of service when the COVID-19 pandemic began quickly spreading throughout the region and the world. Understanding the vital role that we would play in responding to the pandemic, my Boston MedFlight colleagues rose to the challenge by immediately implementing protocols to ensure that we were prepared to safely transport the sickest COVID-19 patients. While this was a new and highly-contagious virus unlike any seen in our lifetimes, Boston MedFlight’s foundation in clinical expertise and focus on safety enabled us to quickly prepare our teams, vehicles, and equipment to care for these gravely ill patients. Immediately, we were called on to transport the sickest COVID patients, as many as 12-15 per day, while continuing to care for the critically ill and injured children and adults we have transported for 35 years. Our frontline staff—critical care nurses, critical care paramedics, pilots, and EMT operators—faced particular risk in managing patients infected with this virus, but their skills and steadfast attention to protocols kept staff and patients safe in the midst of these difficult circumstances. The COVID protocols we developed were subsequently utilized by numerous EMS agencies throughout the United States. I could not be more proud of my colleagues or more grateful for their unwavering dedication to our patients. While we were not able to appropriately celebrate our 35 years of service due to the pandemic, this Annual Report recognizes this important milestone. I encourage you to read the profile on Dr. Alasdair Conn, who reflects on the origins of Boston MedFlight and our modest beginnings. Since that humble start and our first patient transport in the summer of 1985, last year we transported our 80,000th patient. It is both humbling and gratifying for my colleagues and me to know that we have played a positive role in the lives of those 80,000+ patients, and the lives of the countless family members and friends they represent. While FY2020 was like no other, the Boston MedFlight team remained focused on our lifesaving mission. We provided critical care transport by air and ground to 4,634 patients, and, in line with our nonprofit mission, provided more than $5 million in free and unreimbursed care to patients in need who had little or no medical insurance. And while key fundraising events on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard had to be canceled for health and safety considerations, we were able to host the 6th Annual Boston MedFlight Golf Tournament in a scaled down format, and loyal and generous sponsors who were not able to send players still maintained their important philanthropic support. These sponsors and all the donors listed in this report were essential to enabling Boston MedFlight to continue to fulfill our lifesaving mission. If you have not done so already, please visit the recently revamped Boston MedFlight website at www. BostonMedFlight.org, which in addition to having an updated design and navigation, includes many valuable resources and timely updates, including news stories, staff and patient profiles, our 35th anniversary video, and much more. Please also follow us on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Our 35 years of successful service to patients in need has been possible due to the dedication, expertise, generosity and hard work of so many staff, trustees, partners, and supporters who have been vital to Boston MedFlight’s growth and success. I salute and thank those men and women for everything they have done to make Boston MedFlight the organization it is today. They truly embody our motto: “Your Life. Our Mission.”

Julia Sinclair, MBA Senior Vice President, Clinical Services Brigham and Women’s Hospital Diana Richardson, MBA Chief Operating Officer Tufts Medical Center

Maura Hughes, CPA, MBA Chief Executive Officer

Michael Rosenblatt, MD Chief Medical Officer Lahey Hospital & Medical Center 2

2020

Julia Sinclair, MBA Senior Vice President, Clinical Services Brigham and Women’s Hospital Diana Richardson, MBA Chief Operating Officer Tufts Medical Center

Maura Hughes, CPA, MBA Chief Executive Officer

Michael Rosenblatt, MD Chief Medical Officer Lahey Hospital & Medical Center 2

GIVING LIFE

Eurocopter BK 117 helicopter. Little else had been determined. Strategically, Dr. Conn recruited the first flight crew nurses and paramedics from each of the consortium hospitals, ensuring optimal representation and neutrality. Within months, Boston MedFlight began flying out of Logan Airport, housed at the Eastern Airlines hangar. With prescience and a bit of humor, Dr. Conn told his early crews that Boston MedFlight would evolve in four phases: “Rotorcraft, fixed-wing, ground, and space.”

In 1972, St. Anthony’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado, launched the first civilian hospital-based medical helicopter service in the US. That same year, 1,600 miles due east, Dr. Alasdair Conn arrived in Baltimore, Maryland, to begin work as a research fellow at what is now known as the Shock Trauma Center. Having completed medical school and internships in Scotland, Dr. Conn hadn’t yet decided on a career path, or where he wanted to live. But North America won him over and he found his medical specialty: trauma surgery. After completing surgical training and a surgical residency in Toronto, Canada, in 1979 Dr. Conn returned to the Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. It was there that he met his future wife, Dr. Suzanne Wedel, who was undertaking a critical care fellowship at the Shock Trauma Unit. (Depending on which of them you asked, the doctors met at a piano bar—or over a gunshot wound to the chest.) Dr. Conn had become particularly interested in what happens to patients before they get to the hospital: emergency medical services (EMS) and critical care transport. Research in the early 1970s had confirmed the critical window of surgical intervention in the first hour after a life-threatening injury. Within the medical field, attention turned to EMS, the trauma care subsystem, and the “golden hour” between life and death. By 1980, civilian hospital-based medical helicopter programs had proliferated to more than thirty across the country, with 39 helicopters flying more than 17,000 patients a year. Maryland was unique in operating a statewide medevac helicopter program through the Maryland State Police, with the Baltimore Shock Trauma Center serving as the central hub for nine peripheral trauma centers. Dr. Conn took over as the program’s medical director of field operations, supervising approximately 1,000 EMTs and 1,200 paramedics. Promoted to medical director of the Maryland State Police, Dr. Conn helped the agency improve paramedic training by introducing a law establishing paramedics in the state. The program cross-trained state troopers who were flying state police helicopters as EMTs and then as paramedics. Dr. Conn was subsequently promoted to EMS director for the state, which entailed writing the policies and protocols for all EMTs and paramedics in Maryland, which he found intriguing.

TAKING FLIGHT In 1980, the American College of Surgeons recommended the development of a statewide helicopter transport system in Massachusetts. In response, the commonwealth began developing a statewide helicopter program. One helicopter would be based in Worcester at UMass Medical Center and another in Boston at what would become Boston Medical Center (BMC). The Public Health Council approved the program in Worcester, which began operating in 1982 as UMass Memorial Life Flight, but things were more complicated in Boston. Rumor had it that the deans of Boston University, Harvard, and Tufts went to the governor’s office and proclaimed that if BMC was going to get a helicopter, everyone else wanted a helicopter too. The Public Health Council was not enamored with the prospect of half-a-dozen helicopters engaging in air wars above the city’s major hospitals. The council mandated a consortium that would serve the critical-care transport needs of the hospitals as a group. In 1984, the consortium was established. But someone needed to run it: Someone who knew something about helicopters, knew how to work with the legislature, and had not been to any hospital or medical school in Boston and would therefore not favor one over the other. No one quite fit the bill like Dr. Alasdair Conn. When the nascent consortium recruited him, Dr. Conn was enjoying the challenge of his job as Maryland’s medical director for EMS. But he recognized the opportunity before him. “I saw the incredible potential,” recalls Dr. Conn. “You can argue about it, but Boston is the nexus of major medical centers in the world. To be able to represent those institutions while developing what I knew would become an essential component of health care—and set it up in Boston? What an opportunity.” In 1985, shortly after marrying, Drs. Conn and Wedel arrived in Boston. Dr. Wedel began working at Boston Medical Center in surgical critical care. When Dr. Conn’s tenure as Boston MedFlight’s medical director began, he had offices in a trailer, a staff of ten, and a single

Few hospitals in Massachusetts had helicopter pads in the mid 1980s. But when the benefits of medevac became compelling, hospitals began constructing helicopter pads, typically sited near the emergency department. As Boston MedFlight’s program grew in size and importance, hospitals started adding helicopter pads to their roofs to facilitate quicker transfers from the aircraft down to the OR, neonatal ICU, ED, or wherever patients needed to go.

GAINING ALTITUDE The Commonwealth of Massachusetts established a supervisory committee with representatives from community hospitals and emergency physicians’ groups to determine what types of patients Boston MedFlight was transporting. How many were “inappropriate”? Was Boston MedFlight flying people with broken ankles and minor injuries that could very well have been treated at the local level? Secondly, did helicopter transport make any difference in patient outcomes? The data spoke for itself. Boston MedFlight completed approximately 400 transfers in its first year of operation. Compared to national data, 20% of Boston MedFlight’s trauma patients would not have survived without rapid transport from the trauma scene or community hospital to a Level 1 trauma center in Boston. A few years later, the supervisory committee declared that it now understood how Boston MedFlight worked and acknowledged the program’s efficiency. The committee disbanded. Before accepting his job at Boston MedFlight, Dr. Conn had been assured by the consortium that reimbursement arrangements with third-party payors had been established. On arrival, he discovered that this wasn’t the case. He would need governmental support to ensure Boston MedFlight’s ability to serve anyone in need of an air ambulance. Dr. Conn sought legislative backing for a bill to establish that regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, anyone needing critical care transport could be flown by helicopter to where they needed to go. At a legislative committee hearing, the first person

Dr. Alasdair Conn, Chief Emeritus of Emergency Services at Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MedFlight CEO 1985-1989 Thirty-five is a big milestone. Boston MedFlight is growing every year and will continue to grow. It’s gratifying to see our success, particularly our record of zero crashes. That’s a tribute to the safety built into all of Boston MedFlight’s policies, procedures, and protocols. Boston MedFlight now cares for nearly 5,000 patients annually, including the most critically ill and injured infants, children, and adults, while providing more than $5 million annually in free and unreimbursed care to patients in need with little or no medical insurance. It’s important for people to realize that this is a not-for-profit corporation and we do rely on philanthropy to help us especially with the special needs that suddenly crop up. Donations to Boston MedFlight directly translate to better equipment, better training, and better outcomes for patients. And that’s what we’re about. We are in it to improve the outcome of patients no matter their background, their disease, or circumstances. That’s what medicine is for. As the health care system ultimately moves toward fewer hospitalizations and more care at the community level, the need for medical centers of excellence will remain. Patients will always need specialty care for trauma, burns, eye injuries, neonatal care, and so on. Not every hospital needs to be a Level 1 trauma center or major surgical center, but there needs to be several. You need to be able to transport patients from where they are—while providing ICU-level care en route—to those tertiary care centers so that the patients can benefit and so that the health care system can benefit from economies of scale. That’s what Boston MedFlight does and will continue to do. Critical care transport will become its own discipline, and it will need its own curriculum. Boston MedFlight is the most academic prehospital medical program in the world. We provide an extremely high quality of health care outside the hospital. That’s going to be one of the keys moving forward. Right now, 40% of health care costs in the US are hospitals. But with the appropriate technology, we can manage very sophisticated out-of-hospital care in the community, in the home, monitor remotely with sensors—that’s going to be the next big revolution in health care—and the training, personnel, and technologies that Boston MedFlight is using will be transferred to that sector as the standards of training. It’s going to be an exciting journey.

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GIVING LIFE

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BEST IN SIMULATION TRAINING & EDUCATION Jason Cohen, MD, DO, FACEP, FCCM, Chief Medical Officer Boston MedFlight (2016-present)

CELEBRATING YEARS NONPROFIT PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE Maura Hughes, CEO Boston MedFlight [1998-present; CFO 2017-present]

to testify in support of the bill was a five-year-old who had been injured by a drunk driver and taken to Cape Cod Hospital with severe injuries. The emergency physician had told the little girl’s parents that the only chance for their daughter’s survival was a helicopter flight to Boston—and called Boston MedFlight. “I owe my life to the helicopter,” the little girl said.

neonates; it’s critically ill patients. You need a critical care physician running this program.’”

The bill passed.

Dr. Wedel somewhat reluctantly agreed to take the job for an interim year while the search was conducted. That year would turn into 27. Under the extraordinary leadership of Dr. Wedel, Boston MedFlight grew into a world-class critical care transport operation renowned for an impeccable safety record, unsurpassed training and simulation, and quality of care.

EXCHANGE OF CONTROLS In 1989, Dr. Conn was hired by Massachusetts General Hospital to start a new department of emergency medicine. He recognized a conflict of interest in working directly for one of the consortium’s hospitals. He would continue for the short term, but Boston MedFlight would need to find new leadership. The search began. At a cocktail party designed to facilitate recruitment, Dr. Wedel made an observation to the group of stakeholders. “‘You know, you’re looking for the wrong kind of person,’” Dr. Conn remembers his wife saying. “‘It’s very difficult to find a surgeon who’s interested in helicopters. There are only about three or four in the entire nation. And it’s no longer only trauma; it’s

All eyes turned to Dr. Wedel: “You’ve got the job!” As Dr. Conn recounts, Dr. Wedel protested that she knew nothing about flying. But she had the right background, they reminded her, as well as a live-in expert consultant.

At 35, today we are the region’s primary provider of critical care medical transport by air and ground, caring for more than 4,700 patients annually, including the most critically ill and injured infants, children, and adults. As a nonprofit organization, we provide over $5 million annually in free and unreimbursed care to patients in need with little or no medical insurance. Boston MedFlight is a key part of the region’s health care system, collaborating with first responders, community hospitals, and academic medical centers.

“Since 1985, Boston MedFlight has cared for our region’s most critically ill and injured patients, regardless of their ability to pay for our services. With our fleet of helicopters, our airplane and criticalcare ground ambulances, we care for nearly 5,000 patients every year. Over the past 35 years, we have cared for more than 80,000 patients. As the critical-care helicopter industry has evolved over the last 40 years, roughly 80% of nonprofit services have switched over to being for-profit. That’s not us. We’re a nonprofit. We give away $5 million in free care every year to our patients. That’s not going to change.”

BEST ON THE SCENE Dr. Fred Millham, Chair of Surgery South Shore Hospital Quality and Safety Committee, Boston MedFlight “In my career, I’ve been on both the receiving end of Boston MedFlight transports at academic medical centers, and I’ve been on the sending end. I can tell you, having worked in community hospitals, that nothing brings relief to the stressed-out caregivers taking care of a critically ill or injured patient more than the arrival of the Boston MedFlight crew. They have a skillset that rivals any of us in the trauma, acute-care, critical-care realm. When Boston MedFlight goes to a community hospital, particularly at odd hours, they may be the most capable health care providers in the building. Thirty-five years is a great landmark. I’m sure Boston MedFlight will have 35 more and 35 more after that, because the need for Boston MedFlight will never diminish.”

Our simulation space is second to none. Even more impressive than the space and the technology are the educators who invest countless hours in creatively developing our simulation cases. It’s hard to take a seasoned flight nurse or paramedic with 30 years of experience at Boston MedFlight and still make them sweat, to really stretch them out so they are able to expand their boundaries, and for it to be challenging enough to learn from without making it so outrageous that it becomes unbelievable. The group of people who spend their time working on these cases really take that as a challenge, and they succeed. I take immense pride in what we do here. We’re a very fortunate group of people. We’re supported by the hospitals in the city, which give us the capability to do things that really no other transport organization in the country can do: to provide the highest level of care, all the time, without regard at all for reimbursement or finances—just doing what’s right for the patient. That is such a rewarding and privileged position to be in as a physician in modern medicine.”

INHERENT HEALTH EQUITY Kate Walsh, Chief Executive Officer Boston Medical Center “Boston Medical Center is the largest safety net hospital in New England. We serve a significantly disproportionate number of disadvantaged patients from our community. Approximately 59% of our patients are from underserved populations, such as the low-income and elderly, who rely on government payers for their coverage. What Boston MedFlight does is fundamental to health equity in our country. If this was a forprofit ambulance service, the patients we serve would not have access to this level of critical-care transport. As a founding member of the consortium, Boston Medical Center is very proud of our association with Boston MedFlight.”

INVESTMENT IN EXCELLENCE Ann Prestipino, MPH, Senior Vice President Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MedFlight founding Board Member, Current Board Chair “When we started this program, it was hard to imagine what our health care world might look like 35 years into the future. Today, I and my fellow Boston MedFlight board members reflect on the fact that we have created what is essentially a huge public service agency. We have become a national model of critical care transport. I never imagined that this program would get so big or so complex in terms of the scope of services we provide or the number of patients we serve. We are also a lean organization with unparalleled leadership. When I look over the 40-year course of my career since I first entered the field as a young administrator representing Mass General, Boston MedFlight is the accomplishment I’m most proud of. If you really want to see the impact of your philanthropic dollar and maximize its benefit for large numbers of people, Boston MedFlight is a great investment.” 7

BEST IN SIMULATION TRAINING & EDUCATION Jason Cohen, MD, DO, FACEP, FCCM, Chief Medical Officer Boston MedFlight (2016-present)

CELEBRATING YEARS NONPROFIT PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE Maura Hughes, CEO Boston MedFlight [1998-present; CFO 2017-present]

neonates; it’s critically ill patients. You need a critical care physician running this program.’”

The bill passed.

FLYING THROUGH THE YEARS 1980

American College of Surgeons recommends development of a helicopter transport system for Massachusetts.

1984

A hospital consortium comprised of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Tufts Medical Center is formed to cooperatively develop a rotor-wing (helicopter) transport service. Boston MedFlight (BMF) is established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity.

1985

2000

20,000th patient is transported.

2002

BMF expands availability by increasing the second rotor-wing aircraft to 24 hours of operation. Fixed wing service transitions to a Citation II turbofan aircraft. A new Eurocopter BK-117 C1 model replaces a model BK-117 in Plymouth. 20,000th patient is transported.

2004

On June 26, BMF transports its first patient, a 14-year-old boy injured in an explosion, to New England Medical Center (now Tufts Medical Center).

BMF is named Program of the Year by the Association of Air Medical Services. The prestigious award “recognizes an emergency medical program (national or international) that has demonstrated a superior level of patient care, management prowess, quality leadership through visionary and innovative approaches, customer service, safety consciousness, marketing ingenuity, community service, and/or commitment to the medical transport community as a whole.”

1989

2005

Dr. Alasdair Conn is recruited from Shock Trauma Center in Maryland to establish and run BMF, serving as the organization’s first Medical Director. BMF headquarters are established at Logan Airport in Boston, MA, with one helicopter and a total staff of ten.

Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel joins BMF as interim CEO and Medical Director. NEAA, the North East Air Alliance, is founded by BMF, UMass Life Flight, and Hartford LIFE STAR air medical programs facilitate information exchange and establish best practices for the region’s air medical transport.

1991

Instrument flight rule (IFR) capability is added to enhance aviation safety.

1992

A second aircraft is added and stationed at Plymouth Municipal Airport in Plymouth, MA, to improve service to southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard.

1993

5,000th patient is transported.

1995

BMF moves its north aircraft from South Boston to Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA, and the new location serves as the organization’s headquarters.

1997

The BMF Communications Center is established, bringing vital communications capabilities in-house to streamline logistics for complicated missions.

BMF celebrates 20 years of excellence in critical care transport and safety.

2006

Night vision goggle (NVG) capability is installed in all BMF helicopters.

2008

BMF opens a new state-of-the-art medical simulation center at the Bedford base for training clinical staff.

2009

40,000th patient is transported.

A five-year project led by BMF in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, Boston’s Logan Airport, and regional air traffic control culminates in the creation of the first system of global positioning system (GPS) approach procedures to safely land at Boston hospital helipads in inclement weather. 60,000th patient is transported.

by Airborne Transport Incubator, a division of International Biomedical, honors an individual or team for an outstanding contribution to neonatal and pediatric transport in the areas of enhancing safety, education, leadership, and patient advocacy by developing or promoting the improvement of patient care in the medical transport community.

2019

BMF establishes the Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel Legacy Society, to recognize thoughtful donors who have made provisions in their estate plans to support Boston MedFlight. BMF is awarded the Massachusetts Health Council Award for Excellence in Workplace Wellness.

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center joins the BMF consortium.

BMF becomes the first pre-hospital or critical care transport program in Massachusetts, ground or air, to be approved to carry and transfuse blood and blood products during transport.

2011

2017

75,000th patient is transported.

BMF celebrates 25 years of excellence in critical care transport and safety.

BMF establishes a third base of operation at Lawrence Municipal Airport. All bases include air and ground transport vehicles. BMF begins transporting patients who are on heart assist devices or ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation).

2012

50,000th patient is transported.

2013

1999

BMF receives the Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award from AAMS in recognition of a program that has “demonstrated a commitment to aviation safety, spotlights specific safety initiatives, and encourages programs to share their ideas so others in the industry may learn from them.”

BMF’s CEO and Medical Director, Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel, is named Medical Director of the Year by the international organization Air Medical Physician Association.

2016

1998

BMF develops a fixed-wing (airplane) service to expand aviation capabilities and range.

BMF celebrates 30 years of excellence in critical care transport and safety.

2010

BMF receives the Critical Care Ground Award of Excellence from the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) for an “outstanding contribution in enhancing safety, education, leadership, and patient advocacy.”

BMF develops a critical care ground transport service to address unmet patient needs for critical care medical transport.

2015

In-transport heliox capability is added for treatment of patients with respiratory distress from significant upper airway blockage or from asthma.

BMF’s Chief Pilot, Lynda Colarossi, is chosen by the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA) to receive the 2017 William T. Winn Lifetime Achievement Award. BMF completes the certification process to begin operating as an independent air carrier under Part 135 of the federal aviation regulations.

2018

BMF transitions to a new Airbus H145 helicopter fleet as part of a comprehensive plan to upgrade and standardize its fleet of aircraft. An additional base of operations opens at Mansfield Airport. In October, BMF departs Hanscom Air Force Base and moves into its new 54,000-square-foot Headquarters and Operations Center, on the civilian side of Hanscom Field, consolidating Bedford operations under one roof at Hangar 12A.

2020

BMF celebrates 35 years of critical care transport service. BMF serves on the frontlines of the region’s medical response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing critical care transport to the sickest patients suffering from the virus, as many as 12-15 a day. The BMF vehicle fleet (including in-service and backup) consists of five helicopters, eight critical care ground ambulances, and one fixed-wing airplane, operating out of our four bases located in Lawrence, Bedford, Mansfield, and Plymouth, MA. 80,000th patient is transported.

BMF’s commitment to infants and children is recognized by the Association of Air Medical Services, which names BMF recipient of the 2018 Neonatal/ Pediatric Transport Award of Excellence. This prestigious award, sponsored

FLYING THROUGH THE YEARS 1980

American College of Surgeons recommends development of a helicopter transport system for Massachusetts.

1984

1985

2000

20,000th patient is transported.

2002

2004

On June 26, BMF transports its first patient, a 14-year-old boy injured in an explosion, to New England Medical Center (now Tufts Medical Center).

1989

2005

1991

Instrument flight rule (IFR) capability is added to enhance aviation safety.

1992

A second aircraft is added and stationed at Plymouth Municipal Airport in Plymouth, MA, to improve service to southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard.

1993

5,000th patient is transported.

1995

BMF moves its north aircraft from South Boston to Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA, and the new location serves as the organization’s headquarters.

1997

The BMF Communications Center is established, bringing vital communications capabilities in-house to streamline logistics for complicated missions.

BMF celebrates 20 years of excellence in critical care transport and safety.

2006

Night vision goggle (NVG) capability is installed in all BMF helicopters.

2008

BMF opens a new state-of-the-art medical simulation center at the Bedford base for training clinical staff.

2009

40,000th patient is transported.

2019

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center joins the BMF consortium.

BMF becomes the first pre-hospital or critical care transport program in Massachusetts, ground or air, to be approved to carry and transfuse blood and blood products during transport.

2011

2017

75,000th patient is transported.

BMF celebrates 25 years of excellence in critical care transport and safety.

2012

50,000th patient is transported.

2013

1999

BMF’s CEO and Medical Director, Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel, is named Medical Director of the Year by the international organization Air Medical Physician Association.

2016

1998

BMF develops a fixed-wing (airplane) service to expand aviation capabilities and range.

BMF celebrates 30 years of excellence in critical care transport and safety.

2010

BMF develops a critical care ground transport service to address unmet patient needs for critical care medical transport.

2015

In-transport heliox capability is added for treatment of patients with respiratory distress from significant upper airway blockage or from asthma.

2018

2020

PAT I E N T P R O FI L E: KERRY PATTERSON

Kerry’s mother Mary was at work just down the street. Josh called her, frantic. All he could say was that something was very wrong— Kerry had hit her head and had been getting CPR for what seemed like forever. Mary arrived minutes later and found chaos: Josh in the hallway shouting for someone to tell him what was happening, Ryleigh crying, providers running around. Mary had already called Kerry’s dad, John, who got to the hospital quickly, alerting other relatives on the way. Each time the trauma team succeeded in restarting Kerry’s heart, it stopped again. A nurse stepped into the hallway and put her hands on baby Ryleigh. “Pray,” she said to Josh and Mary. Oh my god, Mary thought. Kerry is going to die.

SAY UNCLE Kerry and Josh Patterson tried for three years to have a baby. So when their first try with intrauterine insemination resulted in pregnancy, they were elated. “We thought we’d finally gotten over the biggest hurdle,” Kerry says from her home in Hudson, NH. Her due date was January 15, 2020. Kerry had an uneventful pregnancy—except for a day at the end of her eighth month when she came home from work with a swollen leg. She called her obstetrician and went to Winchester Hospital to be assessed. But by the time she got there, the swelling had subsided. She was given an ultrasound anyway, just to make sure, and the scan found nothing remarkable. Most likely, the doctor said, Kerry was just on her feet for too much of the day. On January 13, Kerry was induced. The next morning, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Kerry and Josh were on cloud nine. Their parents and siblings (most of whom live in adjacent Burlington, MA) all came to the hospital, eager to celebrate the family’s highly anticipated newest addition.

LIFE AND DEATH The following afternoon, Kerry and Josh finished eating lunch in Kerry’s hospital room and decided a Dunkin’ Donuts’ run was in order. As Josh shrugged on his jacket, Kerry tucked baby Ryleigh into her bassinet and headed to the bathroom. A second before the heavy bathroom door shut behind her, Josh heard Kerry say something about not feeling good. And then he heard a sickening bang. Somehow, he knew: Kerry’s head had just hit the door. Josh rushed to the door and opened it. Kerry fell out into the room, lifeless. Unable to rouse her and convinced his wife was dead, Josh rolled Kerry onto her back and began administering CPR. He eyed the bathroom for an emergency cord, but it was missing. He raced to the hospital bed and pulled the emergency cord beside it, then rushed back to Kerry, resuming chest compressions. A nurse came in and took over CPR. Within moments, the hospital’s trauma response team arrived. Chairs and bags were thrown out of Kerry’s hospital room to make space for a more sturdy gurney, critical-care providers, and equipment. Josh was relegated to the hallway with Ryleigh in her bassinet. 10

Kerry’s condition was more than a community hospital could handle. She had been in cardiac arrest for nearly an hour and they were running out of resources. She needed to get to a level one trauma center. A Boston MedFlight ground ambulance was summoned and the hospital trauma team began moving Kerry to the ICU. As Kerry was wheeled down the hallway, surrounded by providers and straddled by a nurse performing chest compressions, Josh’s mother—who had just entered the maternity ward—saw what was happening and began to scream.

GOOD AND MAD Shortly after Kerry got to the ICU, Boston MedFlight arrived: Paramedic Bill Olsen, EMT Bobby Hoffman, and critical care paramedic Emilie Ryan, all of whom had been briefed on Kerry’s condition en route. It did not take long for Bill to assess the situation. He pulled Josh and John aside. “She’s having a pulmonary embolism,” Bill said—a clot in one of the two pulmonary arteries in Kerry’s lungs, blocking blood flow to her heart. Kerry needed an injection of the “clot buster” tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), Bill explained. But the odds were 50-50. If Kerry did not have a pulmonary embolism, she could end up with significant complications. The hospital staff were leery. But Bill was confident in his diagnosis—and equally confident that if they did nothing, Kerry would die on the table. After sign-off from her family, Kerry received the tPA infusion. With no time to waste, she was hooked up to a mechanical chest compression device and loaded into the Boston MedFlight ambulance with Josh at her side. On the way to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston—12 miles away—Kerry began to stabilize. “She woke up in the ambulance,” Josh recalls. “Her hands were strapped to the compression machine, and she started trying to get her hands free. She had a tube down her throat, but she lifted her head and started making noises. I could tell she was mad. That’s when I knew she was going to live.” At Beth Israel, a temporary stent was inserted into Kerry’s afflicted artery via catheter. But at 3:00 in the morning, the stent failed, and Kerry was rushed into surgery for an emergency pulmonary

embolectomy, an open-heart operation to remove the clot. The procedure was successful. In addition to the pulmonary embolism, however, Kerry had suffered a major concussion. She had a massive lump on her head. She was kept in a medically induced coma for more than two weeks, during which her kidneys began to fail and she required dialysis. Josh stayed by Kerry’s side night and day, sleeping on a cot and eating what family members brought to him. Ryleigh was cared for by all three sets of doting grandparents in an organized rotation. Kerry’s renal function improved. On day 16, her paralytics were reduced. But when Kerry woke up, she didn’t know what the word “Ryleigh” referred to. She was put back under for another two days. When she awoke the second time, Kerry knew who Ryleigh was, but insisted that she was in a hospital in the White Mountains. She couldn’t possibly be in Boston because she would never drive in the city (the latter is true).

ALL IN THE FAMILY Kerry stayed at Beth Israel for a month, followed by three weeks at rehab in Woburn, where she was able to visit with Ryleigh every day. A week before Massachusetts shut down in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Kerry was discharged. For the next six months, Kerry stayed at her parents’ house. Having had open heart surgery, she still couldn’t pick anything up and would need weeks of physical and occupational therapy to regain the ability to perform activities of daily living. “I had to relearn how to walk, sit, use my arms, swallow, all my basic functions,” Kerry says. As her functionality and mobility increased, she had to pace herself. Folding a load of laundry would exhaust her to the point of needing a two-hour nap. Ryleigh continued to be cared for by her grandparents, who took time off from work and cancelled vacations to ensure their granddaughter was well cared for, and to help Kerry spend time with Ryleigh every day. Kerry had been familiar with Boston MedFlight because her husband’s uncle, Mark Saia, is a critical care transport specialist for BMF. She also knew Mark as one of her dad’s former colleagues at the Burlington Fire Department. As it happened, Mark was on vacation in Aruba when Kerry’s embolism occurred. But Mark monitored the situation from afar and called to assure Josh and John that Kerry was in good hands. She had the best care team she could possibly get. (See sidebar.) Today, Ryleigh is 13 months old, and Kerry and Josh have found a new normal at home. Kerry missed a lot of the earliest months of Ryleigh’s life, and it’s been hard to come to terms with missing out on something she had looked forward to for so long. But if not for Boston MedFlight, Kerry feels she might have missed it all. “I’m so completely thankful to them,” Kerry says. “They pushed for the tPA. They didn’t show up and wait. They came in and took over. They’re amazing.” Kerry’s close-knit family is even closer having made it through the past year. And now that she’s been a Boston MedFlight patient, Kerry has even more esteem for Uncle Mark and his colleagues in blue flightsuits. “You never know when you’re going to need them,” Kerry says. “You have no idea when your life’s going to take a turn, and you’ll need Boston MedFlight to be there to save you.”

Mark Saia, EMT-P RRT Critical-Care Transport Specialist I was on vacation in Aruba when my phone rang with news that my nephew Josh and his wife Kerry had just had their baby, a baby girl. Mother and baby were doing well. My wife and I were thrilled. But a day and a half later, we were sitting at the beach when my phone started ringing. The cell reception was bad, but after reaching family back home, I pieced together that my niece had fallen at the hospital and was being MedFlighted to Boston. Having worked at Boston MedFlight for 20 years, I knew there had to be something more to it. My Boston MedFlight peers started calling. I learned that Kerry had suffered a catastrophic incident at the hospital where she delivered and had been in cardiac arrest for an hour and a half. It really hit home for me, being in a different country and being helpless, but having my peers call me say “we got this, we’re going to take care of her,” made all the difference. This incredible feeling of support came over me as we started making arrangements to get home. Kerry had a very, very difficult road, but is now absolutely fine, walking around, holding the baby, with really no deficits at all. I do feel that Boston MedFlight’s role in her care is the reason why she walked out of that hospital with the baby in her arms. There’s no question in my mind that Boston MedFlight played a major role not only in her recovery but her survival, because she was clinically dead for an hour and a half. I think that we really do make a difference every day. I couldn’t ask for a better job.

PAT I E N T P R O FI L E: KERRY PATTERSON

PAT I E N T P ROFI L E: JESSICA NIHAN

But it was clear to all of us that Jessica had some bad cerebral activity going on. They did not dilly-dally.” Greg discovered that one of the Fire Department crew was Lieutenant Kevin Mossman, a longtime friend of the family who knew Jessica well. Greg was glad for the connection. After securing Jessica to a backboard, the medics started down the stairs, talking to Jessica all the while. “For a moment, it almost seemed like she was better,” says Greg. “She was reaching out to grab at the wall to steady herself—which is instinct when you’re on one of those things. The medics told Jessica to put her hands on her belly. She did. And that was the last thought she had for a month.”

FRONTLINE FATHERHOOD After four decades of public service, Lieutenant Greg Nihan was pretty sure he had seen it all. During his many years in emergency medical services for Boston EMS and contract ambulance services for the City of Brockton, and then the Hanover, Massachusetts, police department, Greg had hardened to the emotions of trauma and loss. But nothing, it turned out, had prepared him to face those emotions from the other side of the badge. The Saturday after Thanksgiving—November 28, 2020—was unusually warm for late fall. The perfect day for a flight. Greg, an avid student aviator, itched to get to the airfield. After a mid-morning coffee with his wife Julie and her sister, Susie, Greg excused himself to hit the shower. At noon, he would meet his brother-in-law at Plymouth Municipal Airport for a joyride. Greg had just finished showering when Julie came rushing into the bedroom. Jessica, their 22-year-old daughter, was upstairs in the bathroom, sick. Aunt Susie, who happened to be an RN, was in the bathroom tending to Jessica. Greg threw on a pair of gym shorts. “I went upstairs and Jessica was lying on the bathroom floor,” Greg recalls. “That was bad indicator number one. She was also super pale and diaphoretic [sweaty]. She said it hurt, and she didn’t know what was wrong.” Greg knew something was way off. He told Julie to call 911 and ran back to the bedroom to get dressed. “In the time it took me to run down the stairs, throw on some clothes, and get back to the bathroom, Jessica was having a seizure.”

HOLDING ON Jessica’s twin brother Harry, a Marine, was home on leave from deployment in Kuwait. Harry’s girlfriend Taryn, a student nurse, had joined Susie and Jessica in the bathroom. Greg saw with horror that Jessica was posturing—an involuntary flexion that can cause extremities to turn in on themselves, indicating severe brain injury. The Hanson Fire Department arrived. “The medics come in, all donned in PPE,” Greg says. “They need to get the lowdown on Jessica’s situation. You can’t get a better report than from an RN. 12

Greg and Julie had intended for Jessica to be taken to South Shore Hospital, where the Nihan family received primary care. But as Jessica was loaded into the ambulance, the crew said there wasn’t time. Jessica was bradycardic: her pulse was just 40 bpm. Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital was closer. “The survival chain started with the Hanson Fire Department,” Greg says. “They made the call to take her to Brockton.” Jessica was intubated en route.

HURRY UP AND WAIT Greg and Julie arrived at the hospital. But with pandemic restrictions, there was nothing for them to do, and nowhere for them to wait. The sense of helplessness was overwhelming. “She’s my baby,” Greg says. “I can’t go in, I can’t see her, I feel like I’m abandoning her. They said she was going to be there for a while, so we should go home and call for an update.” When Greg called from home, he was told a doctor would call back. Greg and Julie would have to wait. Greg found himself standing up and sitting down and standing up again. He decided to take the dog for a walk. Just as he rounded the furthest corner of their route, Greg’s cellphone rang. It was the ER doctor. Jessica had suffered an AVM rupture. Brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a rare, usually congenital condition in which blood vessels form incorrectly, causing arteries in the brain to connect directly to veins instead of to the smaller, intermediary capillaries. The affected blood vessels can weaken and rupture, causing bleeding in the brain (hemorrhage), stroke, or brain damage. In the next breath, as Greg began sprinting home, the doctor said he was sending Jessica to Brigham & Women’s Hospital, immediately, via Boston MedFlight. Greg had worked with Boston MedFlight crews many times during his career. He knew that if Boston MedFlight had been summoned, his daughter was really, really sick. “To be honest, it scared the s--t out of me when I heard Boston MedFlight was involved,” Greg admits. “This is not a routine transport. You call Boston MedFlight when you have a life-threatening situation and you need to compress time. They don’t do hangnails and broken arms.” The Boston MedFlight crew on duty were critical care nurse Andrea Mosher, critical care paramedic Kevin Doherty, and pilot Alex Fouillit. The flight from Brockton to Brigham & Women’s would take 8-9 minutes. Greg and Julie got into the car and headed north to Boston. “It’s a Saturday, no traffic, sunny and clear, and Route 93 is a parking lot,” Greg remembers. “All I can think is, what if this was bad weather, and Jessica had to go by ground ambulance? Even with a siren and lights, that drive could easily take half an hour or more.”

When they made it to Brigham & Women’s, Greg and Julie were able to briefly see Jessica in the emergency room. Surgery was expected to take 6 to 7 hours. The surgeon would call after the procedure was complete, which wouldn’t be before 10:30 that night. Greg and Julie checked into a hotel in Longwood Medical Area, minutes from the hospital. When the phone rang at 8:45, it was two hours too early, Greg thought, fending off a wave of panic. This couldn’t be good news. But then Dr. Patel was on speakerphone, calm and collected, telling Greg and Julie that surgery had gone well, and Jessica was in recovery.

“This is where the impact of Boston MedFlight became clear,” Greg recalls. “The surgeon said that when the helicopter arrived, Jessica was in a coma. If her transport had been delayed even a little bit, if it had taken any longer for her to get to surgery—say, for example, if she had been in an ambulance driving up Route 93 in traffic—she would have died. No question, 100%.”

WITHOUT WORDS IIn the morning, Greg was allowed to see Jessica, but only one person per visit was permitted, for a maximum of two hours per day. Greg and Julie began alternating days. Harry was able to visit Jessica once before his leave ended and he had to return to Arizona. Jessica would remain unconscious for 11 days. The restrictions on visiting made those 11 days feel like forever. “The first time I went to see Jessica when she was conscious,” Greg recalls, “the nurse said ‘Jessica, you have a visitor.’ She turned to me and her eyes opened wide and she started crying. That was—that was it for me.” But only days later, Boston-area hospitals began closing to non-essential procedures and persons in order to deal with a post-Thanksgiving surge in COVID-19 cases. Brigham & Women’s closed to visitors. “Mama bear was not happy about that,” says Greg. Their only contact with Jessica was through daily video calls. While not yet talking, soon Jessica was able to respond with peace signs and thumbs up. In addition to Harry, Jessica’s two older brothers are also servicemen: Kevin is in the Army, and Jack is in the Marine Corps. Both were able to visit Jessica. The Christmas season is traditionally a major event at the Nihan house, including Christmas Day dinner and a yankee swap for 40. But Julie and Greg decided to postpone the holiday altogether. Apart from pandemic considerations, Christmas wasn’t possible without Jessica. Slowly, Jessica began regaining speech. When she started laughing again—really laughing—Greg and Julie started breathing fully again. Their daughter was going to make it. Greg credits the nurses and therapists at Brigham & Women’s with Jessica’s recovery. “How do you quantify and express thanks for what all these people did to get Jess to where she is now? How do you thank someone for saving your daughter’s life? You want to express something inexpressible.”

MOVING RIGHT ALONG Jessica continued to progress at what her care team deemed an extraordinary pace. “There were nurses who had zero connection with Jessica, all over the 9th floor ICU at Brigham, who would come by and marvel at her progression,” Greg remembers. “When I tried to thank them, they’d say, ‘What’s happening with Jessica is what makes us do what we do.’” Jessica was soon discharged from the ICU and transferred to rehab at Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical Care Cambridge, bypassing the usual interim stay in a non-intensive hospital ward. Just a week later, she was moved to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston, which is located in Charlestown. Jessica was now able to recall people and events. On January 20, 2021, Jessica went home for five days before returning to the hospital for a cranioplasty to replace the section of skull that had been removed during her initial surgery. The procedure went smoothly and she was able to go home after just an overnight. In total, Jessica spent two months in hospitals. ”I’m jealous of myself,” Jessica says. “I got to go on a helicopter ride and I don’t remember it.” In the weeks since she returned home, Jessica has continued making progress in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, through the Norwell Visiting Nurse Association. With hair now shorter than her dad’s crewcut, Jessica acknowledges that her scar is “badass.” Father and daughter have grown closer. “Unbelievably so,” Greg says. “It’s a knock on me, because of how I was raised, and being a cop and working messed-up shifts when the kids were young. Now, come full circle, she’s 22, and she and I are buds in a different way, busting each other’s chops. It feels good.” Before her illness, Jessica worked as a counselor at the Home for Little Wanderers in Plymouth, a therapeutic residential treatment center. She was deeply passionate about her work with vulnerable children. So it meant a lot when the center called to say that whenever she’s ready, no matter how long it takes, Jessica’s job will be waiting for her. On February 2, 2021, the Nihans went for their first post-hospital family outing. They brought supper to the Hanson Fire Department and met the crew that had transported Jessica. As Jessica has no memory of her close brush with death, she was meeting the crew for the first time. Greg looks forward to visiting Boston MedFlight at an onsite patient reunion when in-person celebrations recommence. “I can’t wait,” Greg says. “It’s going to happen at some point. Jessica will get to meet the crew, and we will get to meet the crew, and it will be emotional. I can’t express in strong enough terms how I feel about what these folks do.”

PAT I E N T P ROFI L E: JESSICA NIHAN

PAT I E N T PROFI L E: KIRSTEN NELSON

plan to fly Kirsten to Logan Airport and then drive the three miles to Mass General by ambulance. But aircraft were still in a holding pattern, and the additional transfer and delay were not ideal. Rick sat in the waiting room with Kaelin, his other daughter, Kyle, and Kyle’s mother, Susan, trying to keep it together. Finally, after several hours that felt like days, a Boston MedFlight crew comprised of flight paramedic Gil Lewis, critical care nurse Colin Goetz, and pilot Marc Scoville landed at Exeter Hospital and began preparing Kirsten for transport, a complicated process that would take nearly an hour.

THE SICKEST OF THE SICK When 27-year-old Kirsten Nelson woke up feeling sick that weekend, she wasn’t surprised. Her boyfriend, Kyle, had just recovered from type B flu—thankfully not COVID-19—so obviously, Kirsten had caught the flu too. On Monday, she felt worse. Kirsten’s dad, Rick, wanted her to go to the doctor. But Kirsten insisted she just needed to wait it out. She got sicker as the days passed. By early Thursday morning, February 27, 2020, Kirsten conceded to Kyle that she was ready to go to the doctor. She called her primary care provider first thing and got an immediate slot. The doctor’s office was a three-minute drive from Kirsten’s home in Exeter, NH. When Kirsten arrived for her appointment, she didn’t get far. Ellen Bennet, PA, checked Kirsten’s vital signs and called for an ambulance. Normal blood oxygen levels are 95-100; anything below 88% is cause for concern. Kirsten’s blood oxygen level was 74%. She was also severely hypotensive at just 40/22. “I got a call from Kyle at 8:15 in the morning,” Kirsten’s dad remembers. “He said ‘You have to get to Exeter Hospital right now. Kirsten is in the ER.’” Rick rushed to the hospital. When he got there, Kirsten was already on a ventilator. “She was at death’s door at that point. They moved her from the ER to the ICU. But then the doctor called. The ventilator couldn’t keep up.” Kirsten needed an ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine, which does the work of the heart and lungs so that those organs can heal. And she needed it now. Staff confirmed the availability of a bed and an ECMO at Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 miles south. Then they called Boston MedFlight.

GROUNDED But there was a problem. Immediate helicopter transport to Mass General wasn’t going to happen. Boston-area winds were blowing 40-50mph and it was too windy to fly. As of midafternoon, not a single helicopter had attempted to land on Mass General’s rooftop helipad that day. Staff at Exeter Hospital arranged an alternative

When Rick was introduced to the Boston MedFlight team, he asked if the plan was still to land at Logan. The flight nurse turned to Rick. “Mark is a Black Hawk pilot,” she said. “You’ve got the best helicopter pilot in the world. We’re not going to Logan. We’re going to land on that building.” Rick, Kaelin, Kyle, and Kyle’s mother Susan drove to Boston as fast as he could safely manage. By the time they got to Mass General, the Boston MedFlight helicopter had landed safely on the rooftop helipad and Kirsten had been whisked into the ICU. When they were able to see Kirsten at Mass General, she was surrounded by more than a dozen critical care providers. She had been sedated and hooked up to an ECMO, ventilator, and multiple IVs. Kirsten was diagnosed with influenza, pneumonia, and a MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) superinfection in her lungs—an acute infection with a high mortality rate. She was really, really sick.

“When the doctors came out to talk to me,” Rick says, “they said that when Kirsten landed, she was within 10 minutes of dying. If the helicopter had arrived just a little bit later, she wouldn’t have made it.”

ON THE EDGE Kirsten would continue to teeter on the edge of death. Her third day in the hospital, a doctor pulled Rick aside. “I want to make this very clear,” the doctor said. “You have a very, very sick daughter. In fact, she is the sickest patient in all of Mass General, hands down.” For the next two and a half weeks, Kirsten’s family stayed by her side night and day. She was continually beset with life-threatening complications. Every time her family got a break to leave the ICU, they’d get a call saying that Kirsten had taken a turn for the worse and they’d better get back, quickly. Among these complications, Kirsten went into sepsis (the body’s

overwhelming response to infection) and had vital organ failure. When Kirsten’s ECMO needed a circuit change, Rick was warned that the exchange would involve temporarily removing Kirsten from life support and that she might go into cardiac arrest. She did. It took a minute and 20 seconds of compressions to bring her back. With signs of improvement, Kirsten was brought out of sedation two days before quarantine started. “I woke up and I couldn’t move my arms or legs. I couldn’t comprehend what was going on. Took me a little while to get with it. I had a trach in my throat, I couldn’t eat and I could barely breathe.” She was able to see her parents, her sister, and Kyle and his parents—and then the hospital closed to visitors. Unable to see her loved ones in person and beset by medical issues and equipment, as the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months, Kirsten experienced severe anxiety. Given all that was unfolding in the world, watching the news on TV only made things worse. In addition to antibiotics and pain relievers, Kirsten was given a string of different antianxiety medications and antidepressants, but nothing relieved her distress. Then, due to the vascular complications of life support and vital organ failure, Kirsten developed necrosis. In July 2020, she lost three of her fingertips. She would later lose all of her toes. It took a long time for Rick to feel like his daughter would make it. His initial feelings of distraught helplessness became exponentially worse when he couldn’t see Kirsten in person. “You’re at home, you can’t sleep, you can’t eat,” he says. As a way to do something, Rick sent Kirsten a greeting card every day that she was in the hospital and rehab. In total, he would send 178 cards over the nearly six months of Kirsten’s in-patient medical care. After nearly five months in the hospital, Kirsten was transferred to rehab: First to Vibra Hospital in Rochdale, MA, where Rick set bird feeders and lawn ornaments outside Kirsten’s ground-floor window; then to Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Care in Cambridge, MA. “Spaulding had me walking immediately, which was extremely painful, since I still had my toes.”

A GARDEN OF LOVE In August 2020, Kirsten had surgery to amputate her toes. After a month in the hospital, she went to rehab at Exeter Center in Exeter, NH. “Rehab was so hard,” Kirsten says. “Learning how to walk was the hardest part. It took a month for me to put weight on my left foot. It was unbelievably painful.” When she finally left rehab for good, Kirsten still needed a lot of help. “I lived back and forth between my sister’s home and Kyle’s and my place before moving in with my dad in January. Both of them, especially Kyle, made sure I was taken care of and getting to my appointments.” Kirsten’s recovery is slow, but she celebrates her milestones. She now walks on both feet. She has good days and bad days. A few weeks ago, she started driving again. In the future, Kirsten would like to go back to school for recreational therapy (RT), which she enjoyed as a patient. “I got to channel my creative side with RT. It was a nice distraction and made me feel more human. Rachel, my RT, was great. It was good to be able to talk to her, especially as I couldn’t have visitors. I think I’d be able to connect with people as an RT.” Kirsten also looks forward to seeing and hearing live music again in the post-pandemic era, something she used to do almost every night and misses badly. In addition to her family, Kirsten has deeply supportive friends. Their support has included fundraising and creating a fairy garden for Kirsten’s room. On a larger scale, Rick built Kirsten a large “victory” vegetable garden at home. “I’m so grateful for my support system,” Kirsten says. “It was no easy task getting situated at home, but my sister, my dad, Susan, and especially Kyle did a wonderful job of taking care of me.” For Christmas, Rick gave Kirsten a 3-inch binder containing copies of the 178 cards and envelopes he had sent to her during hospitalization and rehab. “It was as much therapy for me as it was for her,” Rick says with a chuckle. “But,” he adds, emotional again, “if it wasn’t for Mark and Boston MedFlight, Kirsten wouldn’t be here, and neither would this book.”

Also at Spaulding, Kirsten was finally able to see her loved ones in person. “We were able to see her, touch her, hug her,” Rick says with emotion. “It was incredible.”

PAT I E N T PROFI L E: KIRSTEN NELSON

Also at Spaulding, Kirsten was finally able to see her loved ones in person. “We were able to see her, touch her, hug her,” Rick says with emotion. “It was incredible.”

PAT I E NT P ROFI L E: LENNY CLARKE

When Boston MedFlight arrived, Lenny was immediately impressed with paramedic Vahe Ender, critical care nurse Heidi Noland, and pilot Dave Hyde. “Vahe comes in and starts rattling off ‘white male, 67 years old, palpitations, high heart rate, symptoms of stroke, numbness in right hand and arm’ and I’m like, this guy is good! He really knows his stuff! This is like a TV show. And then I realize, oh crap. He’s talking about me.” After transferring Lenny to a gurney, the crew wheeled him down the hall and out to the helicopter. En route, the celebrity was met with requests for autographs from hospital visitors. One passer-by even asked to pose with Lenny for a selfie. “People are going, ‘Lenny! Lenny! Hey, man! How are you doing?’” Lenny recalls. “And I was like, ‘How do you think I’m doing? They’re putting me in the back of a helicopter ambulance!’”

NO LAUGHING MATTER If you were a fan of live comedy in Boston during its heyday in the 1980s, you know Lenny Clarke. A comedian and actor renowned for his strong Boston accent, Lenny was once passed over for a role on Cheers because his Boston brogue was deemed too authentic. But that iconic accent didn’t prevent him from appearing on screen alongside A-list performers such as Rodney Dangerfield, Jim Carrey, Matt Damon, Martin Lawrence, Cameron Diaz, Jimmy Kimmel, and Drew Barrymore in a career spanning 45 years. In June 2020, Lenny woke up with a numb right hand. Thinking he must have slept oddly, he tried to get on with the business of the day—but things got worse. Lenny’s wife Jennifer was in Virginia caring for her elderly mother, so when Lenny found himself unable to navigate his computer, he called a friend for advice. “My buddy said, ‘You’re making even less sense than usual,’” Lenny recalls. As the numbness began creeping up his arm and dizziness set in, Lenny suspected he was having a stroke. Lenny and his wife live on Martha’s Vineyard in a remote, wooded area only accessible by several unmarked right and left turns. “I knew that if I called 911, they wouldn’t have found me,” Lenny says. “So I popped a few aspirin and got into my truck.” He drove as fast as he could to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. By the time he got there, he was unable to speak. Lenny was rushed into the ER. After an injection of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), the standard treatment for ischemic stroke, Lenny’s speech returned—although he still wasn’t thinking clearly. “When they told me I was having a massive stroke, I said, ‘That’s not good, right? I’ll just go home and lie down.’” Hospital staff informed Lenny that he wouldn’t be going home for a nap. He would be getting onto a Boston MedFlight helicopter for an emergency flight to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Lenny started to think he was actually going to die.

As he approached the helipad behind the hospital, Lenny grew apprehensive. “Now, at that time I was a giant fat guy,” Lenny says. “At my heaviest, I weighed 388 pounds with a 56-inch waist. I had lost some weight at that point, but I was still wondering how the heck they were going to get me into that chopper.” Despite Lenny’s concerns, he was safely and securely transferred to the helicopter and flown to MGH. “I’d been in helicopters in a lot of USO tours, but never strapped to a gurney. The helicopter ride to Mass General was uneventful, which is pretty much what you want when you’re flying over water strapped to a gurney.” At MGH, Lenny was whisked away for a carotid endarterectomy to clear a blockage in one of the two arteries that supply blood to the brain. He received care from a world-class team of specialists in stroke treatment. After a week in the hospital, he was able to return home. Knowing that weight is a primary risk factor for stroke, Lenny got serious about getting in shape. With medication, diet, and exercise, he lost 200 pounds. He now sports—no joke—6-pack abs. Aside from some memory loss, Lenny has no lingering deficits. Today he raises awareness about stroke through volunteer work with MGH.

“That helicopter ride was the Cadillac of flights. Their professionalism and the calming effect they had on me was everything. I got to enjoy the trip and I was so impressed. You don’t ever want to take that ride, but if you do, you sure want to take it with Boston MedFlight.”

Lenny notes with some irony that one of his best-known roles is that of Uncle Teddy on the Denis Leary comedy-drama series Rescue Me. “Boston MedFlight rescued me. They saved my life,” Lenny says. “That helicopter ride was the Cadillac of flights. Their professionalism and the calming effect they had on me was everything. I got to enjoy the trip and I was so impressed. You don’t ever want to take that ride, but if you do, you sure want to take it with Boston MedFlight.”

PAT I E NT P ROFI L E: LENNY CLARKE

2020 GOLF SCRAMBLE SPONSORS

THE 6TH ANNUAL BOSTON MEDFLIGHT GOLF SCRAMBLE On August 21, 2020, 48 golfers took part in the 6th Annual Boston MedFlight Golf Scramble at Brookmeadow Country Club in Canton, MA. The tournament was significantly scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite obstacles, the event raised $110,920 in support for Boston MedFlight, helping us to continue to deliver exceptional critical care transport to patients in need.

Airbus Helicopters, Inc. Armstrong Ambulance Services Ball Consulting Group, LLC Bank of America Barrett & Singal, PC Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Emergency Department Blueberry Aviation Cataldo Ambulance Service CIP Group Columbia Construction Company Commercial Construction Consulting, Inc. Coptersafety Coverys Community Healthcare Foundation Curtis Strategy Digital Airware Dowling Insurance Agency Extreme Networks Falcon Air, Inc. FlightSafety International, Inc. Focus Technology Solutions Game Sportswear Harvard Pilgrim Health Care McArdle Gannon Associates, Inc. Paraclete Aviation Life Support ProEMS Rectrix Aviation & Aerodrome Centers SAL-COM SignArt, Inc. Signature Flight Support Specialty Vehicles David and Kathy Stodden Trusted Tees Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. Village Green Nurseries

Participants included former patients of Boston MedFlight, staff, donors, partners, sponsors, and friends of the organization having fun while supporting Boston MedFlight and our life-saving mission. Despite the pandemic restrictions, great camaraderie made for a fun day with a purpose. We are grateful to everyone who made the event a tremendous success: players, our generous sponsors, and Boston MedFlight staff. Their involvement, enthusiasm, and support made the day enjoyable and a success for everyone involved. The 7th Annual Boston MedFlight Golf Scramble is scheduled for Friday, August 20, 2021, at Brookmeadow Country Club.

2020 GOLF SCRAMBLE SPONSORS

FY2020 DONORS BY GIFT LEVEL

The donors listed below made outright gifts to Boston MedFlight during our 2020 fiscal year (October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020). Boston MedFlight does its best to ensure the accuracy of this list. If you identify an error or omission we sincerely apologize, and ask that you please contact Janet Alman at janet.alman@bostonmedflight.org. Thank you.

$20,000 and Above

WAYS TO GIVE Boston MedFlight gratefully accepts charitable gifts made by check, credit card, appreciated securities or bequests, as well as in-kind gifts. All gifts to Boston MedFlight, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, are tax deductible.

CHECK

Checks may be mailed to our headquarters at Boston MedFlight, 150 Hanscom Drive, Bedford, MA, 01730.

CREDIT CARD

Donors can make a secure gift online with a credit card through the Boston MedFlight website. Go to www.bostonmedflight.org and click on “Donate.” Donors may also call the Development Office at 781-457-5346 to make a credit card gift by phone.

STOCK

Donors interested in making a gift of stock or other appreciated securities can receive transfer instructions by contacting the Development Office at 781-457-5346 or giving@bostonmedflight.org.

BEQUESTS AND OTHER ESTATE GIFTS

A bequest is a gift made through a will or trust. This gift may take the form of a specific dollar amount, a percentage of one’s estate, or be a portion of or the entire residual of one’s estate after other specific bequests have been determined. Donors who already have a will may add Boston MedFlight as a beneficiary via a codicil. In addition to a will or trust, donors can complete a beneficiary designation form with their financial institution to name Boston MedFlight as a beneficiary of any of these accounts: IRAs, life insurance policies, or donor-advised funds. Donors who provide support for Boston MedFlight in their wills, trusts, life income gifts, retirement plans, life insurance designations, and other planned gifts are recognized as members of the Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel Legacy Society (see inside back cover for more information).

CAPITAL GIFTS

Boston MedFlight seeks leadership capital gifts for major investments in medical and aviation equipment and technology. Additionally, naming opportunities are still available in our new headquarters and center of operations at Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA. To learn more or discuss naming opportunities and your own support, please contact Tom Hudner, Chief Development Officer, at tom.hudner@bostonmedflight.org or 781-457-5316.

MATCHING GIFTS

Many employers match employee contributions, which can often double or even triple a donor’s gift! Check with your company’s human resources or payroll department to see if a matching gift program is available.

TRIBUTE GIFTS

Gifts to Boston MedFlight can be made in honor or memory of an individual or group. If the donor wishes, we will inform the person, family, or group of the donor’s thoughtful gesture (the gift amount is kept confidential).

IN-KIND GIFTS

An easy, cashless, and tax-friendly way to make a donation is with an in-kind gift. Popular examples are sports tickets and memorabilia, a week at a ski or beach condo, or professional services. Such gifts can be included as auction items or prizes at Boston MedFlight fundraising events, helping us to raise vital financial support. Donors of in-kind gifts receive a receipt for tax purposes verifying the donation. Our legal name is New England Life Flight Inc., dba Boston MedFlight, tax ID number: 22-2582060.

Airbus Helicopters, Inc.* Mr. & Mrs. Richard Menschel Charina Endowment Fund* CRICO The Kohlberg Foundation* MAPFRE Insurance Foundation Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Wendy and Eric Schmidt Schmidt Family Foundation Tupancy-Harris Foundation*

Ms. Rachel Hobart and Mr. Edward Toole Mr. & Mrs. David M. Lilly, Jr. David and Diane Lilly/Peravid Foundation Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank Charitable Fund Mr. & Mrs. James R. Matthews Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Mittenthal* Ms. Constance Nichols and Dr. Eric Schmidt ProEMS* Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB)* Dr. & Mrs. John West*

$1,000-$4,999 $10,000-$19,999 Arbella Insurance Foundation* AssuredPartners Aerospace* Barrett & Singal, PC* Coptersafety Mrs. Sharon Fruit Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Mr. Tony Hatoun and Ms. Andrea Levitt* Mr. & Mrs. Mark Massey

$5,000-$9,999 AAFCPAs* Anonymous Mr. Herbert Ashley Jody and Brian Berger* Mrs. Gloria Jarecki* The Brightwater Fund* Cataldo Ambulance Service* Columbia Construction Company Commercial Construction Consulting, Inc. Ms. Nancy C. Berube Stephen & Alice Cutler Family Foundation* Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Davis Mr. & Mrs. Robert Dowling Dowling Insurance Agency* Mr. & Mrs. Joseph M. Field* Mr. Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. and Ms. Kara Klein The Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Fund* Mr. & Mrs. James Hackett Hackett Family Foundation Ms. Cynthia Hayes

Anonymous Armstrong Ambulance Services* Mr. & Mrs. Gary Beller The Gary A. and Carole P. Beller Family Fund* Benevity Community Impact Fund Ms. Jane Matlaw* Ms. Susan Boccuzzo Mr. & Mrs. Paul Bossidy Boston Scientific Ms. Polly Brown* Mr. & Mrs. William C. Buck Dr. Peter Burke Mr. & Mrs. Bernard Carrey* Ms. Jayne Carvelli-Sheehan* Mr. Kenneth Casey Charina Foundation* CIP Group Dr. Alasdair Conn* Controlled Substance Security Consultants, Inc. Coverys Community Healthcare Foundation* Mr. Paul Dowling Paul R. Dowling 2013 Revocable Trust Mr. & Mrs. Robert Dowling* Mr. James Flaws and Ms. Marcia Weber Mr. Paul Gray Grimes & Company, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Grimes* Mimi and Peter Haas Fund Mr. Peter Hamill Mrs. Lucile Hays* Mr. & Mrs. Scott Hughes

Ms. Karen Johnson Mr. & Mrs. John Kilgallon Dr. Monica Kleinman* Mr. & Mrs. John Loose Massachusetts Business Aviation Association Mr. & Mrs. Charles McGill Mr. David Mugar Mugar Enterprises Network For Good Mr. Jayesh Patel Mr. & Mrs. Lee Pickard Planter Hill Partners Mr. P Christopher Podgurski Ms. Ann Prestipino* Raytheon Executive Aircraft Operations Mr. & Mrs. Steve Renehan* Ms. Diana Richardson, MBA Dr. Michael Rosenblatt and Ms. Patricia Roberts Mr. & Mrs. David Ross Ms. Emily Scott Ms. Randee Seiger Siasconset Union Chapel SignArt, Inc. Mr. Robert Sylvia* Mr. & Mrs. Peter Thomas Ms. Ruth Tomford Trusted Tees Ms. Diana Vigers Village Green Nurseries* Mrs. Delores Wedel Mr. & Mrs. Tom Weinstock* Ms. Ann Wiedie and Mr. Keith Hartt Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Wisch

$500-$999 Mr. Matthew Adamczyk Ball Consulting Group, LLC Ms. Joan Palazzo Bank of America Dr. Brien Barnewolt* Ms. Susan Berry Ms. Aurelie Millet Blueberry Aviation

* INDICATES FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF CONSECUTIVE GIVING 20

FY2020 DONORS BY GIFT LEVEL

$20,000 and Above

CHECK

Checks may be mailed to our headquarters at Boston MedFlight, 150 Hanscom Drive, Bedford, MA, 01730.

CREDIT CARD

STOCK

Donors interested in making a gift of stock or other appreciated securities can receive transfer instructions by contacting the Development Office at 781-457-5346 or giving@bostonmedflight.org.

BEQUESTS AND OTHER ESTATE GIFTS

CAPITAL GIFTS

MATCHING GIFTS

TRIBUTE GIFTS

IN-KIND GIFTS

$500-$999 Mr. Matthew Adamczyk Ball Consulting Group, LLC Ms. Joan Palazzo Bank of America Dr. Brien Barnewolt* Ms. Susan Berry Ms. Aurelie Millet Blueberry Aviation

* INDICATES FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF CONSECUTIVE GIVING 20

Mr. David S. J. Brown Ms. Priscilla Burt Mr. & Mrs. Richard Charpie* Mr. Stephen Christy Mr. & Mrs. James Cowperthwait Mrs. Christina Craighead Ms. Amanda Cross Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Cummings* Curtis Strategy Ms. Valerie Davison Mr. Claudinei De Lima Dechert LLP Digital Airware Mr. & Mrs. Robert Egan Extreme Networks* Falcon Air, Inc.* Mr. & Mrs. Gregor Ferguson FlightSafety International, Inc.* Focus Technology Solutions* Foundation for Community Betterment Drs. Margo Cox and Robert F. Gagel Game Sportswear Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Gentner Geotechnical Consultants, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Joseph T. Grause Jr.* Mr. C. Hardy and Ms. Ann B. Oliver Ms. Sophia Holder J. Brown Builders Ms. Stephanie Jensen Mr. George Kaplan Ms. Candace Krop Mr. & Mrs. William Kupper, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Timothy Lepore Ms. Allison Mayer McArdle Gannon Associates, Inc. Ms. Heather McGowan Ms. Tish McMullin, JD Mr. Michael Metz and Ms. Clare Casademont Ms. Joyce Montalbano Ms. Beth Myers* Mr. & Mrs. Robert Newhouse Ms. Julianne Noble Paraclete Aviation Life Support Mr. Mark Pumphret Rectrix Aviation & Aerodrome Centers Mr. James Reddy Ms. Mary Lou Sullivan Robert Lloyd Corkin Charitable Foundation Ms. Jennifer Round Dr. Ali Salim Mr. Christopher Shannon

Ms. Laurel Sharp Signature Flight Support* Ms. Julia Sinclair* Mr. Darr Smoller Specialty Vehicles Mr. & Mrs. David Stodden Mrs. Mary Usuriello* Mr. Bruce L. Warwick Mr. & Mrs. Marc Wolpow

$250-$499 Anonymous Ms. Luisa Arosio Mr. Ronald Arruda* Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Asiaf Autodesk Foundation Mr. Michael Bachman Ms. Carol Barrett Mr. Kenneth Bartels and Ms. Jane Condon* Mr. & Mrs. George Bassett* Dr. Alastair Bell Ms. Sara Bernstein Mr. Peter Boak Bright Funds Ms. Karen Brooks Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Brown Ms. Kathy Caccamo Dr. Charles Cook Mr. James Crabtree* Mrs. Karen Cross Mrs. Patricia Defreitas Mr. Stephen Evanchik Mr. & Mrs. Carl Gewirz Carl and Nancy Gewirz Fund Mr. Richard Golob Mr. Robert Grant Mr. & Mrs. David Hatch Mrs. Sarah Hindle*

Mr. Ed Hogan Mr. Mark Johnstone Mr. & Mrs. Gerry Keneally Mr. Bill Koutrobis* Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Lamb Ms. Jean Levins* Mr. Thomas Loring* Mr. Daniel Lupfer Mr. Joseph Marcklinger Mr. & Mrs. Chris McCall Mr. & Mrs. G Nicholas Miller* Dr. & Mrs. David Nathan* Mr. & Mrs. William O’Callaghan* Mrs. Helene Patterson Mr. & Mrs. Richard Phelan Judith B. Phelan and Richard S. Phelan Family Foundation, Inc. Mr. Nicholas Philopoulos Mr. Robert Pickett* Quality Carton & Converting Ms. S. Michelle Quintero-Chica Mr. & Mrs. Michael Rogers Mr. Mark Rubenstein* Mr. Peter Scott Mrs. Lois Shapiro* Mr. Ronald Simpkins Mr. John Sjovall Ms. Katherine Smith Rev. Georgia Ann Snell Mr. & Mrs. Edward Soderlund Mr. & Mrs. Robert Strong Mr. Glenn Svenningsen* United Way of Merrimack Valley Mr. & Mrs. Donald Visco Mr. & Mrs. Scott Whitlock Mrs. Mary Jane Wilson

Up to $249 Ms. Paula Acquaviva Ms. Cristina Ajemian Mr. & Mrs. Francis Aliberte* Ms. Selma Alic Ms. Susan Alves Mrs. Judith Amaral* Ms. Kay Amico Mr. & Mrs. John Andel Ms. Karen Andrews Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. John Arakelian Mr. Todd Arnow Ms. Gale Babineau

Mrs. Anne Bailliere Mr. Stephen Bainton Ms. Anne Baird Ms. Margaret Baird Mr. Vincent Baldasaro Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Balfour Mrs. Michelle Balzarini Mr. & Mrs. Howard Bardsley III* Mr. & Mrs. William Barton Mrs. Edith Barzelay Mr. William Bassett Mr. Norman Bastarache Mr. Frank Batista* Ms. Karen Baynes Ms. Sandra Beauvais Mrs. Sylvia Beck Mr. & Mrs. Willi Beck Mr. & Mrs. James Bedford Mr. & Mrs. Larry Belair Mr. & Mrs. John Belash Mrs. Marcelle Ben David Ms. Marcia Bennet Mr. & Mrs. Nathan Berkowitz Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Bevis Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bilello Mrs. Joan Binford Ms. Janet Birch* Mrs. Gloria Blake Mr. Thomas Bohn Mr. Anthony Bonome Mr. Joseph Bosco Mr. & Mrs. George Botelho Jamie Boudreau Ms. Kathleen Bousquet Mr. Michael Boylan* Mr. Robert Brandano* Ms. Sandra Brangan Mr. & Mrs. Richard Brannigan Ms. Judith Brault Mr. James Brawders Mr. Clinton Bridges Ms. Marilyn Bromley Ms. Pamela Brown Mr. Richard Brown Mrs. Shelley Brown* Mr. John Buchanan* Mr. David Bullock Ms. Janet Bumpus Mrs. Agnes Burke* Mr. & Mrs. Walter Burke Mr. Michael Bussell*

Ms. Mallory Calamare Mr. Gary Calderwood Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Calisi Ms. Dorothy Candura Ms. Madelyn Canniff* Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Cannon Mr. & Mrs. William Canon Canton Firefighters Association Mrs. Barbara Capizzo Ms. Laura Capua Mr. & Mrs. William Carlson Mrs. Rosanne Carney Mr. & Mrs. Roger Caron Mrs. Irene Carroll Ms. Susan Catling Ms. Marion Cavicchi Mr. Joseph Cazeault Dr. & Mrs. Adam Cerel Mr. Carmine Cerone Mr. Joseph Chagnon Mr. Norman Chaleki Ms. Julie Chamberlain Ms. Patricia Chamberlain Mr. Paul Chase Mr. Allan Chertok Mr. & Mrs. Neal Chisholm* Mrs. Nancy Clay Mrs. Jeanne Cohane Ms. Deborah Comeau Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Conlon Mr. Robert Connelly Mr. & Mrs. Donald Conners Ms. Sarah Conrad Ms. Corrine Cook Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Cook Ms. Juliet Cordeiro Mr. & Mrs. David Cores* Mr. David Cosgriff and Ms. Anne Foye Ms. Helga Coss Mr. Stephen Costa Mr. Kevin Cotty Mr. Joseph Coyne Mr. Paul Crisostamo Ms. Mary Cristiano Ms. Judith Crofts Ms. Jacquelyn Crones Ms. Mary Cullen Mr. Brian Cullity Ms. Amy Curtis Mrs. Theresa Curtis Ms. Sherrie Cutler

Ms. Maureen Darby Mr. Gerard Davis Mr. & Mrs. William Dawson Ms. Marilyn Day Ms. Dolores Dean Mrs. Jeanne DeAngelis Ms. Erin DeGiacomo Mr. Ermio Deluca Mr. Martin Dennehy Mr. & Mrs. Brian Denton Mrs. Deborah Desmarais Ms. Donna Desmond Mr. Arthur Desrocher Susan M. Deutsch Foundation Mr. Robert Dias* Mr. Emiliano Diaz Mr. Anthony DiCarlo Ms. Marie DiCenso Ms. Anne Dillon Mr. George Dillon Mr. & Mrs. Richard D’Innocenzo* Mr. & Mrs. John Doelp Mr. Dennis Doherty Mr. & Mrs. Keith Donaldson Mr. & Mrs. Donald Dorchester Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Dorfman Ms. Cassie Dougherty Mr. James Doyle Ms. Paula Dube Ms. Deborah DuBois Ms. Lucille Dubois Mr. James Duffy Ms. Margaret Dunn Ms. Meredith Dunn Ms. Paula Durkee Mr. David Earl Mr. Charles Ebinger Mr. Alan Ellenbogen Ms. Barbara Ellis Mr. James Ellis Mrs. Carol Ellsworth* Ms. Linda Enos Mr. Manuel Estrella Ms. Emily Etienne Ms. Ellen Fairbrother Mr. & Mrs. Robert Falkenburg Ms. Karen Fancher Ms. Kristin Fancher Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Farkas Ms. Janet Fazio Mr. & Mrs. Morton L. Fearey II*

* INDICATES FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF CONSECUTIVE GIVING 22

Ms. Laurel Sharp Signature Flight Support* Ms. Julia Sinclair* Mr. Darr Smoller Specialty Vehicles Mr. & Mrs. David Stodden Mrs. Mary Usuriello* Mr. Bruce L. Warwick Mr. & Mrs. Marc Wolpow

* INDICATES FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF CONSECUTIVE GIVING 22

Mr. & Mrs. Morton Fearey, Jr.* Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Fee Mr. Sergio Feltrin Mr. Leander Ferebee Mr. David Ferm Mr. Lewis Ferretti Mr. Frank Ferro Mr. Richard Fichter Mrs. Joan Fisher Ms. Monica Flegg Mrs. Dottie Foley Mr. Eugene Fontaine Ms. Anne Forbes Mr. Edward Fox* Ms. Cynthia Foy Mr. & Mrs. Richard Franas

Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Francis Mr. Carl Peter Fredland* Mr. Mark Fredland* Mr. Frank Friedman Mrs. Patricia Gallagher Mrs. Sarah Galpern* Mr. Brendan Galvin* Ms. Cristy Galvin Ms. Barbara Garabedian Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Garon Ms. Tewedaj Gebreselassie Ms. Joan George Mr. & Mrs. David Gibbs Mr. & Mrs. Charles Gibson Mr. Charles F. Gieg Jr.* Mrs. Elizabeth Gilbert Mr. Stephen Gillan Mr. & Mrs. Harry Gilmore Mr. & Mrs. Carl Giordano Mr. Raymond Giuffre and Ms. Louise Canuel Ms. Rosanna Gizzi Mr. & Mrs. William Glazier Mr. James Gleason

Mr. & Mrs. Steve Godwin Dr. Harold F. Goldstein Mr. James Golias Mrs. Susan Gomez* Mrs. Pauline Goodale Ms. Amber Goodspeed Mrs. Martha Granese Ms. Constance Gray Ms. Toby Greenberg* Mr. & Mrs. James Greene Group Two Advertising, Inc. Mrs. Robyn Gurney Mrs. Patricia Hainsworth Mrs. Anne Hall* Ms. Toni Hall Mrs. Katherine Hallam Mr. & Mrs. Gary Hamblin Ms. Deborah Hanlon Ms. Arlene Hardy Mr. Ralph Hardy Mr. & Mrs. James Harmon Ms. Maureen Harrington Mr. & Mrs. James Harris Mr. Peter Harris Mr. & Mrs. Robert Harris* Ms. Nancy Harvey Mr. & Mrs. James Hasty Mr. John Hawke* Ms. Candice Haynes Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Helvitz* Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Herman Mr. Robert Hess Ms. Bailey Hewit Ms. Elizabeth Hill Ms. Janet Hobbs and Mr. John Hixson Mr. Holden Hodgson Mr. & Mrs. Tom Hoffman Ms. Joan Holdgate Mr. Robert Holst Mr. & Mrs. Mark Hooker Mr. Zach Horvet and Ms. Melissa Starr Mr. & Mrs. Michael Horvitz Mr. Robert Hubertus Mr. Thomas Hudner III* Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hughes Mr. Michael Humphrey Mrs. Janice Hunt Mr. & Mrs. Paul Hunter Mrs. Diane Hutchens Mr. & Mrs. William Hyde Ms. Adriana Ignacio

Ms. Carole Imondi Mr. & Mrs. Larrie Ingalls* Mr. Frank Ittleman Mr. & Mrs. Peter Jaffe Mrs. Donna Javier Ms. Arlene Jelloe Mr. Paul Jenkins Mr. Philip Jenks Mr. & Mrs. David Johnson* Mr. Harold Johnson Mr. & Mrs. John Johnson Ms. Dawn Josefski Mr. Paul Joyal Ms. Sandra Joyce Mr. John Kann Mr. Thomas Kasper* Ms. Torry Stamm Ms. Gayle Kattar Mr. David Kazmer Mr. Gary Kearney Mrs. Gail Keene* Mr. & Mrs. James Kelly Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Kelly Ms. Kristin Kelly Ms. Susan Kendall Mr. & Mrs. William Kenneally Ms. Janet Kent Ms. Mary Ann Killgoar* Mrs. Carol Kindler Mr. Patrick King Kingston Lions Club Ms. Colleen Kinney Ms. Marianne Kirby Ms. Ruth Knapp Mr. Derek Kockler Dr. Richard Kotwas Mrs. Elaine Kulesa Mr. & Mrs. Karl Kussin* Mr. George Kyte Ms. Marilyn Lally* Mrs. Karen Lambert Mr. David Lamoureux* Ms. Mary Landi Mr. Paul Langevin Ms. Joan Lapham* Mr. Henry Lawlor Mr. & Mrs. Charles Leary Ms. Joanna Leary Ms. Debra Leavitt Ms. Diane LeBlanc Mr. Gordon LeBlanc

Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Ledgard Mr. & Mrs. Joel Leider Ms. Kathleen Leno Mr. Gerard Letendre* Ms. Marie Letteri Mr. & Mrs. Michael Levy Mr. Lloyd Licciardello Mr. Joseph Lipuma Mrs. Mary Ann Litwinsky* Mr. & Mrs. Michael Lochhead* Ms. Donna Lowell Ms. Arlene Lowenstein Ms. Mary Ellen Lundy Mr. Mark Luthringshauser* Mr. & Mrs. Lowell Lyon Mr. & Mrs. Gordon MacEwan Mr. Richard C. Mack* Mr. & Mrs. Ian MacKenzie Mr. James MacPherson Mr. Ralph Maddigan Mr. & Mrs. J. Clarence Madore Mr. James Magaldi Mr. James Maher Mr. Paul Malo Ms. Katie Malone Mr. & Mrs. Craig Marin Mrs. Maureen Martin Ms. Claire Masciarelli Mr. John Mason Mr. Francis Masse Mr. & Mrs. Frank Mastrocola Mrs. Marilee Matteson Mr. Rodney Maurice Ms. Deanna McCormack Mr. & Mrs. Richard McCormick Ms. Patricia McCornack* Mr. & Mrs. John McCullough III Mrs. Sarah McDonough Mrs. Gyneth McGarvey* Ms. Kerry McKenna Mr. & Mrs. Thomas McKinnon Mr. Charles McLeavy Ms. Carly McManus Mr. & Mrs. Robert W. McMullen Mr. Dennis McNally Mr. Donald McNeice* Mrs. Linea McQuay* Mr. & Mrs. Bill Meaney Ms. Ashley Means and Mr. Jonathan Pedi Beth and Chris Mee Tricia and Greg Mee

Ms. Nancy Mee Drs. William Meehan and Laura Roebuck* Mr. James Meigs Mr. John Merritt Ms. Gladys Michel Mr. & Mrs. Harry Mintz* Mr. & Mrs. Maurice Mitchell Mrs. Louise Molter Ms. Valerie Monaco Ms. Inez Montanile Mr. Tony Montano Mrs. Helene Montoni Mr. Dennis Moreland Mr. Robert Morrissey Mrs. Maureen Moselsky Mr. & Mrs. James Mosley

Mr. Bentley Munsell Mr. Benjamin Murphy Mrs. Carol Murphy Mr. Clayton Murphy Mr. Raymond Murphy Mr. Roland Murphy Mrs. Doris Myette Ms. Rosalyn Nadler Ms. Deana Neimann Mr. Edwin Newhall Woods* Mr. Paul Newstead Mrs. Sandra Newton Mr. Paul Nichols* Mr. Kevin Nicklas Dr. John Nigro Mr. & Mrs. Gary Niswonger Mr. & Mrs. John Norden Mrs. Claire Norton* Mr. David Norton Mr. & Mrs. Michael Norton* Rev. Daphne B. Noyes Mr. & Mrs. Clifford O’Brien Mr. Michael O’Brien

Ms. Joanne Oliver-Pijoan Mr. & Mrs. Edward O’Neil* Mr. Jeff O’Neill Ms. Virginia Orsillo Mr. Kenneth Osborne Ms. Deborah Oshman Mr. & Mrs. Randall Oxley Mr. Kenneth Pailler* Mr. & Mrs. Victor Pallazola Ms. Karen Palmer Mr. Steve Papanotas Mr. Peter Pappaconstantinou Mrs. Mary Alyce Pardo Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Parrotto Ms. Laura McDermott Mr. Bob Pascucci Ms. Patricia Pastuszak Ms. Anna Patchett Mrs. Ruth Jenkins Paul Jenkins & Sons Well Drilling Mr. & Mrs. Eric Pauly Mr. Jack Pearson Ms. Janice Pelletier Mr. Steve Perkins The Honorable John M. Perone Mrs. Anna Perry Mrs. Patricia Petersen Ms. Beverly Phillips Mr. & Mrs. Robert Phipps Ms. Ashley Pierce Ms. Annette Poirier Mr. Terry Pommett Hector and Janet Pope Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Power* Ms. Jayne Prats Mr. & Mrs. Grant Presby* Mr. Domenic Prestone Mrs. Jane Puetthoff Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Puleo Dr. & Mrs. Richard Pulice* Ms. Caryn Quimby Mr. Robert Quinn Mr. & Mrs. Phillip Raneri* Ms. Ingela Ray Mr. & Mrs. Philip Read Ms. Rebecca Reese Ms. Eulalie Regan Mr. George Reilly Ms. Priscilla Reis, Trustee Priscilla L. Reis Revocable Trust Ms. Kathy Boshar Reynolds

* INDICATES FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF CONSECUTIVE GIVING 24

Mrs. Maria Ribeiro Mrs. Sheri Richard Ms. Carolyn Richardson Mr. & Mrs. Michael Richman Mr. & Mrs. Lawrason Riggs Ms. Patricia Rizzo Mr. Brooks Robards Ms. Carol Robbio Mr. Gary Robinson Mrs. Luana Rochette Mr. & Mrs. Peter Rockett Mr. John Rollins Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Rosinoff Mr. & Mrs. Sverre Rosvik Mr. Albert Roza Mr. Melvyn Rubin Ms. Nancy Russell Ms. Rebecca Ryan Mrs. Diane Ryder Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ryder* Mrs. Helen Salamone Mr. William Comeau SAL-COM Mr. David Saltiel Ms. Lisa Santoro Mr. Patrick Santos Mrs. Nancy Sawyer Ms. Catherine Saynor Mr. Brian Scanlan Mrs. Thalia Scanlan Mr. Herbert Schiffer Mr. Gerald Schimmoeller Ms. Christine Schmidt Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Schutzberg* Ms. Jean Schweis* Mrs. Judy Schweitzer Mr. Jordon Scoppa* The Scott Family Mr. & Mrs. Robert Seger Mr. Dominic Sera* Ms. Ruth Shanker Mr. Arthur Shaw Mr. & Mrs. Gary Shearer Ms. Kaitlin Silveira Rabbi Lawrence Silverman Mr. Michael Simeone Mr. & Mrs. Donald Simi Mr. Junie Sinson Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Siwik Ms. Cynthia Slade Mrs. Susan Slahetka

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Slysz, Jr.* Mrs. Joan Small* Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Small Mr. Robert Smith* Mr. & Mrs. William Snyder Mr. John Speiser Mr. Sidney Spiegel* Mr. Kenneth Spritz Ms. Karyn Squire Ms. Anita St Germain Mr. & Mrs. John Stackpole* Mr. Lawrence Stearns Ms. Marissa Steel Mr. Benjamin Stevens Mr. & Mrs. Robert T.P. Storer III Mr. Howard Stovall Ms. Teresa Strangie Mr. Landey Strongin Mrs. Catharine Sullivan Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sullivan Mrs. Sandra Sullivan* Mr. & Mrs. John Sussek Jr. Mr. William Swanson Ms. Anne Sweidel* Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Swenson Jr. Mrs. Dorothy Sykes* Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Sylvester Ms. Veronica Szarek Mrs. Sandra Taylor Mr. Rich Teahan Mr. & Mrs. Roger Temple Mrs. Elaine Tetreault Mrs. Ingrid Thamhain The Baddour Family Foundation, Inc. Mr. Rob Thompson Thompson Builders, Inc.* Ms. Pamela Thompson Mr. Matthew Tobin Mrs. Frances Tomei Ms. Stacy Toporoff Ms. Ellen Trifero Mrs. Donna Trushin* United Way Of Central Massachusetts Mr. & Mrs. Vincent Valentino Mr. Robert Valle Mr. & Mrs. Charles Vaughan Ms. Carlene Veara Ms. Delia Vildoso Mr. Robert Vinson Mr. Peter Vorvis Ms. J W

Mr. & Mrs. Jacques Wagner Mr. & Mrs. Robert Wagner Mr. Scott Waldron Mr. & Mrs. John Walker Ms. Linda Walsh Ms. Martha Warshaw Ms. Maryann Wasik Mr. & Mrs. Cory Watlington Dr. & Mrs. William Welch* Ms. Elizabeth Wescott Mr. Frederick West Mr. Richard Whitney Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Wiehe Mr. & Mrs. William Wilbur Ms. Maryanne Wiley Mrs. Whitney Wilkinson Ms. Paula Willey Mr. & Mrs. Dean Williamson Ms. Beverly Winthrop Mr. Warren Woessner Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Young Ms. Emma Young Ms. Jayme Zamarro Gangi and Mr. Robert Gangi, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Bryant Zanko Ms. Maria Zodda* Ms. Loretta Zwarts*

Memorial Donations In memory of Mary Adamczyk Matthew Adamczyk In memory of Bob Amaral Judith Amaral In memory of Patricia I. Ashley Herbert Ashley In memory of Douglas Baird Margaret Baird In memory of Robert P. Balzarini Michelle Balzarini Robert Morrissey In memory of Richard Barzelay Edith Barzelay In memory of Emma Bastarache Norman Bastarache In memory of Raymond Beauvais Sandra Beauvais In memory of Kimberly Bilello Robert and Deborah Bilello In memory of Fred Binford, Jr. Joan Binford In memory of Mark F. Blake, III Gloria Blake In memory of Neal Boccuzzo Susan Boccuzzo In memory of Gail Bridges Clinton Bridges In memory of Rachel P. Budzynski Anthony and Linda Parrotto In memory of Charles and Vincent Candura Dorothy Candura In memory of Clarence Cannon Benjamin and Sallie Cannon In memory of Vito Capizzo Barbara Capizzo In memory of Charles J. Carney Rosanne Carney In memory of Francis M. Carroll Irene Carroll In memory of Allen J. Cavicchi Marion Cavicchi In memory of Lucille Cazeault Joseph Cazeault In memory of Joan Carol Chaleki Norman Chaleki In memory of Putnam and Marion Cole Mark Johnstone In memory of John J. Coppinger Janet Birch

In memory of Charlie Crones Jacquelyn Crones

In memory of Stephen Gallagher Patricia Gallagher

In memory of Richard Curtis Theresa Curtis

In memory of Ellen Galvin Brendan Galvin

In memory of Lavon and Hunter Day Kathleen Leno

In memory of John Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert

In memory of Manuel DeAndrade and Mary T. Julian Maria Ribeiro

In memory of Vanda Gizzi Rosanna Gizzi

In memory of Domenic DeAngelis Jeanne DeAngelis In memory of Richard E. Defreitas Patricia Defreitas In memory of Carolyn Dillon George Dillon In memory of David Durkee Paula Durkee In memory of Ruth Elizabeth Ellis James Ellis In memory of Lee E. Ellsworth, Sr. Carol Ellsworth In memory of Geoffrey T. Englert Karen Baynes In memory of Richard and Carol Farkas Andrew and Mirian Farkas In memory of Carol A. Fichter Richard Fichter In memory of Paul E. Foley Dottie Foley In memory of Claire Forbes Anne Forbes

In memory of Gerald H. Gleason James Gleason In memory of George Gomez Susan Gomez In memory of Dick Goodale Pauline Goodale In memory of Luke LL Gurney Robyn Gurney In memory of Bruce Hainsworth Patricia Hainsworth In memory of Thomas K. Hall Anne Hall In memory of Patrick Hanlon Deborah Hanlon In memory of Diana K. Harris Peter Harris In memory of Paul S. Harvey Nancy Harvey In memory of William H. Hays, III Lucile Hays In memory of Robert and Marilyn Hess Robert Hess

In Memoriam: Dr. Robert Shapiro On December 24, 2020, Boston MedFlight lost a special family member: Dr. Robert Shapiro, longtime Boston MedFlight supporter and advocate. Dr. Shapiro was the kind of person who improved the lives of everyone around him, even in everyday encounters. He was an active philanthropist who invested in the health and well-being of his community members in ways large and small. After a career in ophthalmology, he continued to provide eye care at Nantucket Cottage Hospital in retirement, simply because he loved working with patients. As Nantucket residents, Dr. Shapiro and his wife, Lois, served on the host committees for several Nantucket receptions for Boston MedFlight. Many years after becoming an unofficial Boston MedFlight ambassador, Dr. Shapiro experienced Boston MedFlight from the patient’s perspective during an emergency helicopter transport from Nantucket to Boston. That personal encounter only broadened Dr. Shapiro’s effusive advocacy of our work.

In memory of Julie A. Coyne Joseph Coyne

We are deeply grateful for Dr. Shapiro’s involvement with Boston MedFlight and the many ways in which he supported our work. In line with his ongoing efforts to build awareness of and support for the organization, prior to his passing Dr. Shapiro arranged for free advertising for Boston MedFlight on ACK-FM radio on Nantucket and online through the Daybreak Nantucket electronic newsletter, both of which he founded with his son Jeffrey.

In memory of Dr. John Craighead Christina Craighead

His was a life well-lived, in the ways that matter most. He will be missed.

In memory of Manuel Cordeiro Juliet Cordeiro

* INDICATES FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF CONSECUTIVE GIVING 26

In memory of Charlie Crones Jacquelyn Crones

In memory of Stephen Gallagher Patricia Gallagher

In memory of Richard Curtis Theresa Curtis

In memory of Ellen Galvin Brendan Galvin

In memory of Lavon and Hunter Day Kathleen Leno

In memory of John Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert

In memory of Manuel DeAndrade and Mary T. Julian Maria Ribeiro

In memory of Vanda Gizzi Rosanna Gizzi

In memory of Julie A. Coyne Joseph Coyne

In memory of Dr. John Craighead Christina Craighead

His was a life well-lived, in the ways that matter most. He will be missed.

In memory of Manuel Cordeiro Juliet Cordeiro

* INDICATES FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF CONSECUTIVE GIVING 26

In memory of Owen Michael Hochreiter Donald and Doreen Conners

In memory of John Martin Maureen Martin

In memory of George W. Sawyer Nancy Sawyer

In memory of Kevin M. Horrigan Karen Andrews

In memory of John McDermott Laura McDermott

In memory of The Shanker Family Ruth Shanker

In memory of Eldana A. Hoxie Kingston Lions Club c/o Peter Rossi

In memory of Victoria McKee Pearson Jack Pearson

In memory of Genevieve Simeone Michael Simeone

In memory of Diane L. McLeavy Charles McLeavy

In memory of Robert and Elaine Slysz, Sr. Robert and Susan Slysz

In memory of Ann Marie McNally Dennis McNally

In memory of Suzanne Smoller Darr Smoller

In memory of Edward McQuay Linea McQuay

In memory of Mary and Mauel Sousa Claire Masciarelli

In memory of Francis J. Mee, RN Judith Brault

In memory of Ruth and Louis Spiegel Sidney Spiegel

In memory of Margie Montano Tony Montano

In memory of Robert St. Germain, Sr. Anita St. Germain

In memory of Philip Montoni Helene Montoni

In memory of Kevan M. Sullivan Sandra Sullivan

In memory of Jemima Ruth Moore Colleen Kinney

In memory of Mike Sykes Dorothy Sykes

In memory of William (Billy) Taylor Moselsky Maureen Moselsky

In memory of Nadege M. Sylvia Robert Sylvia

In memory of Dawn Murphy Benjamin Murphy

In memory of Russell L. Tetreault Elaine Tetreault

In memory of Joseph Myette Doris Myette

In memory of Dr. Hans Thamhain Ingrid Thamhain

In memory of James Newton Sandra Newton

In memory of Dr. Allan Lawrence Toole Susan Berry Rachel Hobart and Edward Toole Raymond Murphy

In memory of Roger R. Hunt Janice Hunt In memory of John C. Hurd Cynthia Slade In memory of Lee Hutchens Diane Hutchens In memory of Nicholas Imondi Carole Imondi In memory of Peter Jaffe Peter and Alexandra Jaffe In memory of Evelyn Jenks Philip Jenks In memory of Kurt Jensen Stephanie Jensen In memory of Dale Kasper Thomas Kasper In memory of Daris E. Keeler Candace Krop In memory of Jack Keene Gail Keene In memory of Kevin M. Kelly James and Claudia Kelly In memory of Paul and Mary Jane Killgoar Mary Ann Killgoar In memory of Jeremiah Jerry Kirby Kirby Marianne Kirby In memory of Judy Kotwas Richard Kotwas In memory of Marsha Koutrobis Bill Koutrobis In memory of John Kulesa Elaine Kulesa In memory of Gregory Lambert Karen Lambert In memory of Joan Lapham Diana Vigers In memory of Virginia D. Lawlor Henry Lawlor In memory of Robert A. Litwinsky Mary Ann Litwinsky In memory of Charles Lowell James and Joyce Bedford Sandra Joyce Donna Lowell Robert and Nancy Phipps In memory of Joshua Macro Michael and Vicki Norton In memory of Anna Marie Malloy Diane LeBlanc

In memory of Merrill S. Norton Claire Norton In memory of Flloyd Orsillo, Jr. Virginia Orsillo In memory of Stanley T. Pardo Mary Alyce Pardo In memory of Richard and Robert Patchett Anna Patchett In memory of The Patchett Family Anna Patchett In memory of Louis M. Pavesi Inez Montanile In memory of William D. Perry, Sr. Anna Perry In memory of Donald Poirier Annette Poirier In memory of Myles M. Reis, Sr. Priscilla Reis Priscilla L. Reis Revocable Trust In memory of Joseph E. Rizzo Patricia Rizzo In memory of Lawrence M. Rochette Luana Rochette In memory of Richard Salvatore Robert Grant In memory of Rita F. Savoy Robert Dias

In memory of Nicki and Allan Toole Cynthia Hayes In memory of Ronald L. Trushin and Stacy M. Trushin Donna Trushin

Honorary Donations In honor of Jonathan Acquaviva Paula Acquaviva In honor of Jackson Altieri Francis and Rebecca Aliberte In honor of Henry Babineau Gale Babineau In honor of Margaret Baird Anne Baird In honor of Connor Barton William and Beverly Barton In honor of Chris Boshar Kathy Boshar Reynolds In honor of the Boston MedFlight Crew Robert and Karen Swenson Joseph Lipuma Shelley Brown Gerard Letendre Christine Schmidt Constance Nichols and Eric Schmidt Joseph Lipuma Robert HolstMary Landi Arlene Jelloe Matthew Tobin

In honor of Robert Hoffman Roger and Elaine Caron

In honor of Brendan Bousquet Kathleen Bousquet

In honor of Tom Hudner Mr. and Mrs. Robert Storer

In honor of Brian Burby James and Betty Hasty

In honor of the Kalev family Janet Fazio

In honor of Kathryn Campion Richard Whitney

In honor of Nicole King Kristin Kelly Patrick King

In honor of Julia Chisholm Neal and Nancy Chisholm In honor of Emily Conrad Sarah Conrad In honor of Ryan Curtis and John Sullivan Amy Curtis

In memory of Charlie Usuriello Mary Usuriello

In honor of Shannon Denton Brian and Diane Denton

In memory of Gilberte Valle Robert Valle

In honor of Anthony R. DiCarlo, Jr. Anthony DiCarlo

In memory of Richard Veara Carlene Veara

In honor of Bob and Betty Dowling Paul Dowling

In memory of June Veasie Sheri Richard

In honor of Lottie Doyle James Doyle

In memory of Suzanne K. Wedel, MD Marcia Bennet Agnes Burke Madelyn Canniff Michael Rosenblatt, M.D. and Patricia Roberts Delores Wedel

In honor of Amelia Driscoll Julianne Noble

In memory of Michael P. Zamarro Jayme Zamarro Gangi and Robert Gangi

In honor of Penelope Haynes Candice Haynes

In honor of Nathan Fancher Emily Etienne Karen Fancher Kristin Fancher In honor of Harry Gilmore Harry and Jane Gilmore In honor of Michael Gittleson, RN Karen Johnson In honor of Arthur Hallam Katherine Hallam In honor of Tobin and mom Natalie Gary and Roberta Hamblin

In honor of Brie Lefler Ruth Tomford In honor of Joan Leighton Constance Gray In honor of Joshua Levy Michael and Joyce Levy In honor of Katelin Maguire Bill and Karen Meaney In honor of Hunter McCullough Beth and Jack McCullough In honor of Beth Mee Carly McManus Foundation For Community Betterment / Daryl Cooke In honor of Miriam Mittenthal Toby Greenberg In honor of Cayleigh Montano Tony Montano

In honor of Kerri Hatch Reed David and Audrey Hatch Quality Carton & Converting In honor of Body Rowley Ashley Means and Jonathan Pedi In honor of Arthur Schutzberg Daniel and Frederique Schutzberg In honor of Bob Shapiro Kenneth Bartels and Jane Condon In honor of Bryan Shepherd Richard and Eileen Sullivan Marilyn Day In honor of Joseph Small Sidney and Nanette Small In honor of Maxine Smith Katherine Smith In honor of Paul Solomon Mary Ellen Lundy In honor of Dr. Sunu Thomas Diane LeBlanc In honor of Pamela Thompson Pamela Thompson In honor of David B. Voorhees, MD Ingela Ray In honor of Matthew R. Walker John and Janice Walker In honor of Lisa Vaughan Walsh Charles and Kathy Vaughan

In honor of Dr. David Nathan Catherine Saynor In honor of Lauren O’Brien Michael O’Brien In honor of Rosemary O’Neil Edward O’Neil In honor of Dr. Heinz-Helmer Puetthoff Jane Puetthoff

In memory of Owen Michael Hochreiter Donald and Doreen Conners

In memory of John Martin Maureen Martin

In memory of George W. Sawyer Nancy Sawyer

In memory of Kevin M. Horrigan Karen Andrews

In memory of John McDermott Laura McDermott

In memory of The Shanker Family Ruth Shanker

In memory of Eldana A. Hoxie Kingston Lions Club c/o Peter Rossi

In memory of Victoria McKee Pearson Jack Pearson

In memory of Genevieve Simeone Michael Simeone

In memory of Diane L. McLeavy Charles McLeavy

In memory of Robert and Elaine Slysz, Sr. Robert and Susan Slysz

In memory of Ann Marie McNally Dennis McNally

In memory of Suzanne Smoller Darr Smoller

In memory of Edward McQuay Linea McQuay

In memory of Mary and Mauel Sousa Claire Masciarelli

In memory of Francis J. Mee, RN Judith Brault

In memory of Ruth and Louis Spiegel Sidney Spiegel

In memory of Margie Montano Tony Montano

In memory of Robert St. Germain, Sr. Anita St. Germain

In memory of Philip Montoni Helene Montoni

In memory of Kevan M. Sullivan Sandra Sullivan

In memory of Jemima Ruth Moore Colleen Kinney

In memory of Mike Sykes Dorothy Sykes

In memory of William (Billy) Taylor Moselsky Maureen Moselsky

In memory of Nadege M. Sylvia Robert Sylvia

In memory of Dawn Murphy Benjamin Murphy

In memory of Russell L. Tetreault Elaine Tetreault

In memory of Joseph Myette Doris Myette

In memory of Dr. Hans Thamhain Ingrid Thamhain

In memory of James Newton Sandra Newton

In memory of Dr. Allan Lawrence Toole Susan Berry Rachel Hobart and Edward Toole Raymond Murphy

In memory of Nicki and Allan Toole Cynthia Hayes In memory of Ronald L. Trushin and Stacy M. Trushin Donna Trushin

In honor of Robert Hoffman Roger and Elaine Caron

In honor of Brendan Bousquet Kathleen Bousquet

In honor of Tom Hudner Mr. and Mrs. Robert Storer

In honor of Brian Burby James and Betty Hasty

In honor of the Kalev family Janet Fazio

In honor of Kathryn Campion Richard Whitney

In honor of Nicole King Kristin Kelly Patrick King

In honor of Julia Chisholm Neal and Nancy Chisholm In honor of Emily Conrad Sarah Conrad In honor of Ryan Curtis and John Sullivan Amy Curtis

In memory of Charlie Usuriello Mary Usuriello

In honor of Shannon Denton Brian and Diane Denton

In memory of Gilberte Valle Robert Valle

In honor of Anthony R. DiCarlo, Jr. Anthony DiCarlo

In memory of Richard Veara Carlene Veara

In honor of Bob and Betty Dowling Paul Dowling

In memory of June Veasie Sheri Richard

In honor of Lottie Doyle James Doyle

In memory of Suzanne K. Wedel, MD Marcia Bennet Agnes Burke Madelyn Canniff Michael Rosenblatt, M.D. and Patricia Roberts Delores Wedel

In honor of Amelia Driscoll Julianne Noble

In memory of Michael P. Zamarro Jayme Zamarro Gangi and Robert Gangi

In honor of Penelope Haynes Candice Haynes

In honor of Dr. David Nathan Catherine Saynor In honor of Lauren O’Brien Michael O’Brien In honor of Rosemary O’Neil Edward O’Neil In honor of Dr. Heinz-Helmer Puetthoff Jane Puetthoff

2020 BY THE NUMBERS

States transported from:

Pediatric and neo-natal patients transported:

555

Patients transported:

4,634 Amount spent for pilots:

$291,725 30

Cities and towns transported from:

184 Hours flown by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft:

Hospitals transported to or from:

137 Hours of training provided for nurses/ paramedics:

2,384 3,360 Patients transported since 1985 (approximate):

Ground ambulance miles driven:

Free and unreimbursed care provided:

Annual operating budget:

83,550 $5.18M

234,620

$43M

THE DR. SUZANNE K. WEDEL LEGACY SOCIETY AT BOSTON MEDFLIGHT The Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel Legacy Society honors those who provide support for Boston MedFlight in their wills, trusts, life income gifts, retirement plans, life insurance designations, and other planned gifts. Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel led Boston MedFlight as Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director for 27 years, from 1989 until her passing in 2016. Dr. Wedel was beloved and respected by her friends, colleagues, and individuals throughout the medical field and critical care transport industry. Known equally for her intelligence and medical expertise, Dr. Wedel was a driving force in developing best practices in critical care medicine. Dr. Wedel’s dedication to Boston MedFlight and our patients was unparalleled, as was her belief in the organization’s past, present, and future. As a physician and leader, Dr. Wedel was selfless, loyal, and empathetic, exemplifying the practice of “compassionate care.” The Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel Legacy Society honors this abiding commitment to Boston MedFlight’s mission. Thoughtful donors who have made provisions for Boston MedFlight in their estate plans demonstrate their own dedication to the organization’s mission, its future, and the patients we care for every day.

“The establishment of The Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel Legacy Society is a wonderful tribute to Suzanne and her dedication to Boston MedFlight and the thousands of patients and families cared for by the organization during her 27 years as CEO and Medical Director. Our family is grateful to Boston MedFlight for honoring Suzanne’s memory in this meaningful way.” — Alasdair K. Conn, MD, husband of the late Suzanne K. Wedel, MD, and Chief Emeritus of Emergency Services at Massachusetts General Hospital

The individuals listed below have made provisions in their estate plans to support Boston MedFlight. We are deeply grateful for their dedication to the organization and its future. Jayne Carvelli-Sheehan Alasdair Conn, MD Maura Hughes Daphne Noyes Ann Prestipino Charles Wiley

If you have included Boston MedFlight in your estate plans, please let us know. We would like to thank you for your generosity, ensure that the purpose of your gift is understood by the organization, and recognize you as a member of the Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel Legacy Society.

To learn more about supporting Boston MedFlight with a planned gift, please contact Tom Hudner, Chief Development Officer, at 781-457-5316 or tom.hudner@bostonmedflight.org. Thank you! 31

2020 BY THE NUMBERS

States transported from:

Pediatric and neo-natal patients transported:

555

Patients transported:

4,634 Amount spent for pilots:

$291,725 30

Cities and towns transported from:

184 Hours flown by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft:

Hospitals transported to or from:

137 Hours of training provided for nurses/ paramedics:

2,384 3,360 Patients transported since 1985 (approximate):

Ground ambulance miles driven:

Free and unreimbursed care provided:

Annual operating budget:

83,550 $5.18M

234,620

$43M

To learn more about supporting Boston MedFlight with a planned gift, please contact Tom Hudner, Chief Development Officer, at 781-457-5316 or tom.hudner@bostonmedflight.org. Thank you! 31

Boston MedFlight 150 Hanscom Drive Bedford, MA 01730 781-863-2213

EDITOR Paul Joyal

CONTRIBUTORS Maura Hughes Tom Hudner Janet Alman

PHOTOGRAPHY Dahlgren Creative Zofia & Company Photography Julia Benitez

DESIGN Guarino Design

WRITING & EDITING Miranda Hersey/Pen and Press 32

Boston MedFlight is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our legal name is New England Life Flight Inc., dba Boston MedFlight. Audited financials are available upon request. For 990 information, please go to www.Guidestar.org and search “New England Life Flight.” Boston MedFlight manages rotor-wing (helicopter) operations under its own Part-135 carrier certificate, and our fixed-wing aircraft (airplane) is maintained and operated by SevenBar Aviation.

For information on charitable giving to Boston MedFlight, please contact our Development Office at 781-863-2213 or giving@bostonmedflight.org. Thank you! Boston MedFlight 150 Hanscom Drive Bedford, MA 01730 781-863-2213 www.BostonMedFlight.org

Your Life. Y Liffe. Our Mission.