2015 ANNUAL REPORT 30 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
A M E SSAGE F R O M CEO SU ZANNE WED EL, MD
Boston MedFlight: Celebrating 30 Years WHEN YOU OR A LOVED ONE REQUIRES TECHNOLOGY AND PERSONNEL THAT CANNOT BE DELIVERED AT THE LOCAL HOSPITAL, BOSTON MEDFLIGHT GETS THE CALL.
In fact, 10 times a day on average, every day of the year, we transport such patients. We serve the sickest of the sick, and strive to be the best thing that happens to these patients on the worst day of their lives. And it’s not just the medical care and efficient transport we provide—it is also essential that we treat our patients and their families with compassion as they face these challenges. We celebrated several important milestones in 2015, which proved to be a significant year in the history of Boston MedFlight. These included marking our 30th year of service in critical care transport, completing the highest number of transports in a single year (3,524) since our founding in 1985, and transporting our 60,000th patient. Additionally, in FY2015 we expanded the scope of our neonatal and pediatric program and saw a 67% increase in the number of these patients transported over the previous year. Neonatal and pediatric patients represented one-fifth of our total transports for the year—the highest number of neonatal and pediatric patients in our 30-year history. We take great pride in caring for these most fragile patients in a time of dire need. We saw the culmination of a five-year project led by Boston MedFlight in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, Boston’s Logan
Airport, and regional air traffic control to create the first system of global positioning system (GPS) approaches into hospitals in a major metropolitan area in the United States. In November, Boston MedFlight utilized the new GPS approaches for the first time, safely transporting a critically ill child to a downtown Boston hospital in low visibility conditions. When we receive a request for transport, we take many factors into consideration—the medical condition and needs of the patient, which vehicle is most appropriate for the mission, the weather, and other logistical issues. One factor we never take into consideration, however, is the patient’s insurance status. In keeping with this practice of transporting emergent patients in need regardless of their ability to pay, in FY2015 we provided over $2.6 million in free and unreimbursed care to uninsured and under-insured patients. We also strive to be a responsible community member by providing educational opportunities in critical care transport to clinical colleagues throughout our service area, conducting our SafeTeens programs at local high schools to educate students about the life-threatening risks of impaired and distracted driving and participating in public health and safety events. In fact, during the 2015 fiscal year, Boston MedFlight reached more than 6,000 people through our community education and outreach activities. Beyond these accomplishments, every member of the Boston MedFlight team continued to strive to deliver the best critical care transport to our patients and to perform their duties with exceedingly high levels of expertise and efficiency. Every transport we complete is the result of collaboration between our medical staff as well as pilots,
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of Excellence in Critical Care Transport We celebrated several important milestones in 2015, including marking our 30th year of service in critical care transport, completing the highest number of transports in a single year (3,524) since our founding in 1985, and transporting our 60,000th patient. EMTs, communications specialists, mechanics, and operations and administrative staff. It is an honor to work with these dedicated men and women.
AS THIS PUBLICATION was going to print, Suzanne Wedel passed away following a long battle with cancer. This letter was the last she wrote to the extended Boston MedFlight community, and we felt it was appropriate to
While I am extremely proud of our team, I am also deeply grateful to the individuals, families, foundations and corporations listed in this report who made philanthropic gifts to Boston MedFlight in 2015. The financial support provided by these donors has made an immediate and positive impact on our ability to deliver the highest level of critical care transport to the region’s sickest patients. As a nonprofit organization, Boston MedFlight invests every budget dollar into the essential components of our program—operating and maintaining the most advanced equipment, hiring and retaining the most qualified staff, delivering ongoing training, and following the highest standards of clinical care and safety. Consistent with our mission, we strive to provide the right vehicle to the right patient at the right time and transport him or her to the right facility. We appreciate your support. It truly makes a difference and enables us to always focus on our motto, “Your Life. Our Mission.” Suzanne K. Wedel, MD Chief Executive Officer, Boston MedFlight
include it here in its entirety. Suzanne was a beloved friend, skilled physician, and tremendous leader, and she will be missed by all of us. She was ever-positive and optimistic and she held a deep belief in Boston MedFlight’s past, present and, most importantly, future. The Boston MedFlight team is inspired to continue her legacy by serving our patients with expert care and compassion. Please look to the Boston MedFlight website and future communications for tributes to Suzanne’s life and work.
PATI E NT P R O FI LE
But for Boston MedFlight, My Son Would Not Be Alive IT WAS A GORGEOUS AUGUST AFTERNOON ON NANTUCKET ISLAND. ALEX ULM, A SUMMERTIME RESIDENT, WAS ENJOYING
A friend invited him over for a swim. After a good splash, the two young men decided to go skateboarding. Alex didn’t have his helmet with him and, being 15, wasn’t inclined to go back home to get it. HIS 15TH BIRTHDAY.
Nantucket Island doesn’t have a lot of hills, but Alex and his friend knew them all. And when Alex wiped out and landed on his head, they also knew that the injury could be serious. After deciding that he hadn’t broken any limbs, Alex called his dad, Scott, explaining what had happened and reporting that he had a bad headache. Alex told his dad that he should probably go to the hospital to get it checked out. Scott was there in minutes. T R I AG E
At the hospital, Alex presented well. He was coherent and didn’t look banged up. As Alex was being sent for tests, another patient was triaged: A young girl had been injured at home. She had black eyes and her condition looked serious. A Boston MedFlight helicopter was summoned—an aircraft that in 2014 was equipped to take only one patient. Who would be dispatched first—the young girl, or Alex? The other patient was sent to Mass General in the Boston MedFlight helicopter.
After surviving a life-threatening accident and emergency surgery, Alex Ulm resumed the activities he loves, including scuba diving and long-distance running.
But by 6:02 pm, the hospital care team knew that Alex was in trouble. His scans showed that he had a fractured skull and epidural hematoma—a condition sometimes referred to as “talk and die” because the seriousness of injury is not readily apparent. It was this very trauma that resulted in the death of actress Natasha Richardson after a skiing accident.
In FY2015, Boston MedFlight completed 3,524 and in December 2015 we completed our
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The consensus was clear: If Alex hadn’t been able to fly to Hyannis, or if the transport had taken even 30 minutes more, he might have died. Another Boston MedFlight helicopter was summoned—but a crew change and refueling would take time. Adding to the unfortunate confluence of events, President Obama was visiting Cape Cod, so the Coast Guard helicopters that would otherwise have been able to fill in were unavailable. Alex’s dad went outside to survey the clouds that were gathering—knowing that a late-afternoon lightning storm would put his son’s air transport at great risk. As the weather grew worrisome, Alex started to lose consciousness. The Nantucket medical team induced a coma to reduce the swelling of Alex’s brain and minimize the risk of brain damage. The time that passed felt like days to Alex’s parents—but the Boston MedFlight helicopter arrived and finally Alex was in the air with his dad at his side. “The crew,” recalled Scott Ulm, Alex’s father, “were deeply caring and compassionate at a tremendously stressful time.”
SURGERY
The helicopter landed at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. One of Alex’s eyes had started to dilate, which is an indication of potential brain damage. He was rushed into surgery. Alex’s mother was able to catch a plane from Nantucket to Hyannis—and she was at the hospital shortly after Alex and Scott’s arrival. “We had a nerve-wracking hour while Alex was in surgery,” Scott recalled. “Finally, the surgeon emerged and told us that things had gone well. Alex was going to make it, and it looked like there wouldn’t be any lasting effects of the injury.” The consensus was clear: If Alex hadn’t been able to fly to Hyannis, or if the transport had taken even 30 minutes more, he might have died. Today, Alex attends the Collegiate School in New York and is doing well. Last year, he ran a half marathon. “Boston MedFlight is an absolutely vital service,” said Scott. “When you live 30 miles offshore, you’re taking a risk. Many Nantucket residents don’t understand the complexity of what Boston MedFlight does. They take the service for granted and don’t understand that the organization is a nonprofit. My house is 1,000 yards from the hospital and I hear the Boston MedFlight helicopters coming and going all summer long. And every time I do, I’m filled with gratitude.” Alex’s 15th birthday celebration wasn’t what the family had envisioned. As Scott reflects, however, the birthday gift was immeasurable: “But for Boston MedFlight, my son would not be alive.”
patient transports—the busiest year in our history— 60,000th transport since our founding in 1985.
Critical Care Transport for the Youngest Patients THE TRANSPORT OF NEONATAL AND PEDIATRIC PATIENTS REQUIRES HIGHLY SPECIALIZED
Boston MedFlight has long been proud of providing these fragile patients with the lifesaving services they need during transport.
CARE AND TECHNOLOGY.
Last year, Boston MedFlight experienced a dramatic increase in neonatal and pediatric transports. In FY2014, we transported 371 pediatric patients and 68 neonatal patients; in FY2015 those numbers increased to 461 and 272 respectively. To increase capability and capacity, in October 2014 we expanded our relationship with Partners Hospitals (Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital) to provide neonatal transport services. In July 2015, the Steward Network joined this collaborative. The underpinning of this relationship is the Boston MedFlight communication center, which serves as a one-call source for community hospitals to connect with receiving neonatologists for acceptance, clinical consultation, and transport. Even if Boston MedFlight does not perform the transport, we improve outcomes by serving as the communications center for the participating providers. Missions can be completed
in any vehicle from any base, making the system truly regionalized. All Boston MedFlight clinical staff members are trained to manage neonatal patients through clinical rotations at NICUs, simulation, and skills labs, and are assessed quarterly for proficiency in neonatal procedures and neonatal care. Participating community hospitals, Partners facilities, and Boston MedFlight clinical and leadership team members perform weekly case reviews on all transports to assess clinical care and address quality and performance improvement issues. Retro missions, in which we transport neonatal and pediatric patients back to community hospitals, comprise a portion of our volume. As we are able to provide care to these patients in the air or on the ground, specialized hospitals do not have to staff the vehicle with their own clinicians—which provides considerable value to these hospitals. The stakes in critical care transport are always high— and when neonates and children are involved, the stakes feel even higher. Boston MedFlight is pleased to be able to meet increasing demand with increasing quality and performance.
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Community Outreach and Education BOSTON MEDFLIGHT PROVIDES MORE THAN JUST CRITICAL CARE PATIENT TRANSPORT.
Our extensive outreach program offers educational opportunities for health care providers in the community and the residents of those communities. Through our affiliation with teaching hospitals in Boston, we have the ability to include many of the top care providers in the country (and world) as instructors for our courses, which enables our community providers the opportunity to learn from the best. Our courses are designed to target providers who are vital links in our patient continuum of care. Many of our in-house instructors have a broad span and depth of knowledge, and bring many years of real-world experience into the classroom. Through our daily interaction with community providers, we are able to identify training needs; by utilizing our vast array of internal and external resources, we are also able to create targeted opportunities for learning on a variety of levels. In 2015, our courses and presentations reached more than 1,200 providers, and we are developing additional courses in 2016.
Our outreach also extends to the residents of the communities that we serve. We are an annual fixture at several town safety days, “Touch a Truck� events, health fairs, and Santa visits. Our SafeTeen program, which is a collaborative effort between Boston MedFlight, area high school students, and their community EMS providers, provides a realistic dramatization of the consequences of impaired and distracted driving. Last year, our community events reached close to 5,000 people of all ages. Our participation in these events provides the attendees a better understanding of the Boston MedFlight organization and the health care resources that are available to the community, regardless of individual circumstances.
SAFETEENS Dramatic reenactments allow students and community members to experience the devastating impact that a serious accident can have on family, friends, and classmates.
S U P PO R T E R S P OT LIG HT
Humane Society THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, AN INSTRUMENTAL SUPPORTER OF BOSTON MEDFLIGHT, HAS PROVIDED INVALUABLE SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR MORE THAN TWO CENTURIES.
Despite its longevity, many local residents are unfamiliar with the organization and its mission (not to be confused with the Humane Society of the United States, which is concerned with animal welfare). In 1785, a group of Boston citizens met to discuss concerns about the needless deaths resulting from shipwrecks and drownings—and how to reduce those tragedies. Formally established in 1786 as the Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the organization’s role in saving lives along the Massachusetts coast is a unique and compelling story. Its work has served as a model for the US Life-Saving Service and ultimately the US Coast Guard. IN THE BEGINNING
From the outset, the Humane Society focused on recognizing selfless lifesaving rescues and preventing tragedies. The organization established an awards system with a financial stipend for those who risked their lives to save others and presented its first award in 1786. By sponsoring public lectures and publishing research studies, the Humane Society encouraged innovative lifesaving techniques and resuscitation measures. Its resources financed a number of firsts in the country: lifesaving huts and rescue boats along the coast, swimming instruction for students in the Boston Public Schools, instructional posters on resuscitation methods, and funding to create Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), McLean Hospital, and the Boston Lying-In Hospital (a predecessor of Brigham and Women’s Hospital). While Boston MedFlight shares the Humane Society’s focus on rescue and
lifesaving—largely on and near the water—we also enjoy the synergy of a history that includes MGH and Brigham and Women’s. The Humane Society helped to equip Boston MedFlight helicopters with defibrillators and to install portable ultrasound equipment in the emergency rooms at five Boston hospitals. In 2015, the Humane Society provided Boston MedFlight with a $60,000 grant for the purchase of Switlik flight crew life vests. This was the largest gift Boston MedFlight received in FY2015— and the results are tangible in increased crew safety and comfort. In December 2015, during Boston MedFlight’s 2016 fiscal year, the Humane Society awarded Boston MedFlight another major grant of $60,000, this time for the purchase of six pairs of new night vision goggles (NVGs) that use new, white-phosphor technology. These state-of-the-art NVGs provide exceptional visual clarity compared to the old green phosphor technology, providing our pilots with improved safety margin and the confidence to accept the most challenging transport missions. Our FY2016 Annual Report will contain more information about this tremendous grant. A HISTORY OF GIVING
In total, since 1997 the Humane Society has awarded $220,806 to Boston MedFlight. Humane Society trustee Ian Gardiner has been actively involved in these grants. He believes in Boston MedFlight as a trustee of the Humane Society as well as on a personal level. “In my mind there are two types of people in the world—those who have needed Boston MedFlight, and those who might need Boston MedFlight,” said Gardiner. “Boston MedFlight is without peers. They are really, really good at what they do.”
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BOSTON MEDFLIGHT OVER THE YEARS
Significant Milestones in Our History
1984 A hospital consortium is formed to cooperatively develop a rotor-wing (helicopter) transport service, with the primary purpose of delivering trauma patients to trauma centers: Boston MedFlight is created. Dr. Alasdair Conn is recruited from Shock Trauma Center in Maryland to establish and run Boston MedFlight, serving as the organization’s first Medical Director.
1985 White phosphor night vision goggles provide more detail, better contrast, and more visual acuity than traditional green phosphor technology.
Gardiner continued, “I have many friends who live on the islands, and many more who visit the islands. The minute they leave the mainland, they might need an ambulance. God forbid they need one. But if they do, Boston MedFlight is there.” Today, the Humane Society carries on the mission envisioned by its founders, recognizing those who voluntarily risk their lives to save others and seeks to prevent accident, injury, and death, primarily on the waters. “The Humane Society is very special group of people,” said Gardiner. “We’re in the business of giving awards—which may include monetary rewards, and more usually medals and certificates—to people who put their own lives in danger to save the lives of others. We’re kind of invisible. But when somebody gets a medal for saving someone’s life, that information passes quickly in the community. It has a good effect. We’re always looking for opportunities to help others who save lives. And I don’t think you get a better example than Boston MedFlight.”
On June 26, Boston MedFlight transports its first patient, a 14-year-old boy injured in an explosion, to New England Medical Center (now Tufts Medical Center). Boston MedFlight headquarters are located at Logan Airport in Boston, MA.
1989
Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel joins Boston MedFlight as CEO and Medical Director, beginning a successful leadership tenure that will last 27 years!
1991 1992 Instrument flight rule (IFR) capability is added to enhance aviation safety.
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.
PATI E NT P R O FI LE
Holding Her Children Tightly plugging my cell phone into its charger, my right hand started to go numb. Assuming I was just at an awkward angle, I tried to shift my position—and then the entire right side of my body was gone. I reached for my husband with my left hand, trying to shake him awake. Being asleep, he thought I wanted a cuddle, and wrapped his arm around me. Unable to talk, I threw his arm aside—which woke him up. Within a moment he recognized that something was terribly wrong. He called 911. CODE STROKE
Upon arrival, the EMTs immediately called out, “Code stroke, code stroke.” I’m a physician assistant, so I understood what was going on. I also understood how rare it is for a 31-year-old female to have a stroke. The ambulance took me to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth. My husband stayed behind at home, scrambling to find childcare so that he could get to the hospital.
ON MARCH 14, 2015, AFTER FEEDING MY TWO-WEEK-OLD DAUGHTER IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, I WENT UPSTAIRS AND
Hoping to get a bit more sleep before my 3-year-old woke up for the day, I climbed into bed beside my husband. As I was
PUT HER IN HER BASSINETTE.
I was given a CAT scan, although I don’t remember it. I do remember seeing the vascular neurologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Boston on videochat. The typical treatment for ischemic strokes is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), given through an IV in the arm, which works by dissolving the clot and improving blood flow to the blood-deprived part of the brain. But the tPA wasn’t working; the clot wasn’t
For professional reasons, the Boston MedFlight patient who generously agreed to author this profile prefers to protect her privacy. While we have omitted her name and hometown, all of the details provided here are factual.
Boston MedFlight never denies emergent service due more than $2.6 million in free and unreimbursed
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brain injury. I could think words, but I couldn’t speak. Several times a day, someone would ask me my name and date of birth—which I knew in my head but was unable to say. dissolving. I needed to get to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Boston for emergency surgery. I remember being put on a stretcher. As the team transferred me into the Boston MedFlight helicopter, a woman assured me that everything was going to be OK. Then I lost consciousness. When my husband finally made it to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Boston, the neurosurgeon pulled him aside and said, “We’re going to do everything we can, but I want you to know that she could die.” The next thing I knew, I was in the OR. The neurosurgeon reassured me with “We’re going to take care of you.” The mask went over my face, and I was gone again. My next memory is waking up in the neuro-ICU. The neurosurgeon found my husband and told him that things had gone as well as possible. “But,” the surgeon said, “she’s still intubated and she may never come off the breathing machine.” Just 10 minutes later, the surgeon came back and said, “Well, actually, she’s off the machine. She can’t talk, but she can move everything.” My husband was considerably relieved at that point. After 24 hours in the neuro-ICU, I was transferred to neuro floor, where I stayed for five days. I had aphasia —a language impairment that affects speech due to
It turns out I had a patent foramen ovale (PFO)—a hole in the heart that doesn’t close the way it should after birth. Perhaps related to pregnancy or childbirth, a clot had traveled to my heart. It could have gone anywhere, but it went to my head and blocked the middle cerebral artery. My cardiologist told me that I was too young to be on Coumadin for the rest of my life, and I needed to have the PFO closed. I had that surgery in October 2015, and stopped taking Coumadin in February. Months of OT, speech therapy, and hard work have brought me almost a full recovery, although I have slight deficits that other people don’t notice. One day my cardiologist said to me, “Do you realize how lucky you are?” He showed me the head scans I’d had at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth. “Wow,” I said. “Those are my scans?” Most people who have a stroke like that usually slip into a coma and die. I am beyond fortunate and I know it. My outlook on life is totally different now; work is no longer my first priority. It’s all about family and the things that truly matter most. I wouldn’t be here today without Boston MedFlight. Boston MedFlight saved my life. It’s as simple as that. I may not have been conscious during my transport, but I know how courageous these people are. As a nonprofit, it’s truly amazing that they do what they do. And I’m living proof.
to a patient’s inability to pay, and in FY2015 we provided care to uninsured and under-insured patients in need.
Boston MedFlight Welcomes New Chief Medical Officer said Suzanne K. Wedel, MD, Boston MedFlight’s Chief Executive Officer. “Jason’s previous experience as a transport medical director as well as his leadership experience within numerous areas of critical care and emergency medicine make him a great asset to the Boston MedFlight team.”
WE ARE PLEASED TO INTRODUCE JASON COHEN, DO, FACEP, FCCM, WHO JOINED BOSTON MEDFLIGHT AS OUR NEW CHIEF MEDICAL
Dr. Cohen is a critical care physician with more than 25 years of health care experience, including 13 years as an emergency care physician with FEMA and the United States Army. His tours in Iraq and Kuwait as an Army doctor in combat field hospitals makes him well prepared for his new role at Boston MedFlight. Dr. Cohen also served as Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Surgery at Albany Medical Center for 5 years and is board certified in emergency and critical care medicine. The CMO position will also be combined with a clinical role at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. OFFICER ON FEBRUARY 1, 2016.
Following a careful and extensive search, Boston MedFlight was extremely pleased to locate Dr. Cohen and bring him on board. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Cohen to Boston and to our unique organization,”
For the past 27 years, Dr. Wedel has served in a dual role as Boston MedFlight’s Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director. Dr. Wedel will continue in her capacity as Boston MedFlight’s CEO. Dr. Cohen will work closely with Dr. Wedel and with a seasoned senior leadership team, as well as a team of associate medical directors affiliated with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Lahey Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Cohen is pleased to join Boston MedFlight. “I am grateful for the opportunity to join this organization with such a compelling mission and history of providing exceptional emergency and critical care transport services to thousands of people across New England,” he noted. “Boston MedFlight is an amazing collaboration of world-renowned hospitals and dedicated critical care transport professionals, unmatched anywhere else. I look forward to working with my new colleagues at Boston MedFlight to expand our services, exploring new and cutting-edge ways to deliver the safest, most advanced transport medicine in the country. I am honored to have the chance to work with such an amazing team of individuals.” Welcome, Dr. Cohen!
BOSTON MEDFLIGHT OVER THE YEARS
Significant Milestones in Our History TOP FLIGHT
1995
Awards in 2015 Our organization and our leadership were honored with five notable awards in 2015: • Dr. Suzanne Wedel, Boston MedFlight’s CEO, was named Medical Director of the Year by the Air Medical Physician Association, an award that recognizes a physician who has made outstanding contributions to his or her program. • The Metropolitan Boston Emergency Medical Service Council bestowed Dr. Wedel with the Erwin F. Hirsch, MD, Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors an individual whose career and commitment to the field of EMS has consistently demonstrated vision, leadership, and dedication in Region IV. • Helicopter Association International honored Boston MedFlight with the BLR Aerospace Safety Award in recognition of our work to secure GPS approaches to Boston hospitals. We share this honor with Hickok & Associates, Boston Consolidated TRACON (A90), and FAA Control Tower Boston Logan International Airport. • The National Air Transportation Association recognized Boston MedFlight with a Five-Star Aviation Maintenance Technician Employer Award for encouraging and supporting the highest level of aviation maintenance technician training. • Boston MedFlight was honored to receive a Night Vision Five-Year Service Award from the Airborne Law Enforcement Association, commending our dedication to safety awareness and improvement in using night vision goggles to successfully complete missions.
To improve specialty mission capabilities, an Aerospatiale Dauphin helicopter is purchased to replace a Eurocopter BK-117. Boston MedFlight moves its north aircraft from South Boston to Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA, to better serve northern New England communities.
1997
The Boston MedFlight communications center is established, bringing vital communications capabilities in-house in order to streamline logistics for complicated missions.
1998
1999
Boston MedFlight develops a partnership with Armstrong Ambulance to provide critical care ground transport, with the goal of providing the right vehicle to the right patient at the right time.
Boston MedFlight develops a partnership with Eastern Air Charter to provide a f ixed-wing (airplane) service, using a turbo prop twin-engine Piper Cheyenne IIXL.
Boston MedFlight expands availability by increasing the second rotor-wing aircraft to 24 hours of operation. Fixedwing service transitions to a Citation II turbofan aircraft. A new Eurocopter BK-117 C1 helicopter replaces an older model BK-117 in Plymouth. 20,000th patient transport completed.
2002
S U P PO R T E R S P OT LIG HT
Arbella Insurance Foundation FOUNDED IN 2005, THE ARBELLA INSURANCE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT POSITIVELY IMPACT THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF NEW ENGLAND. Through grants and gifts of hands-on involvement, the foundation helps local communities with the active support of Arbella Insurance Group employees and their independent insurance agents.
The Arbella Insurance Foundation began its support of Boston MedFlight in 2005, and has since provided annual support for our safety education programs and community outreach services. In 2013, the foundation awarded us a “50 to 25” grant, a $50,000 gift that enabled us to purchase eight pediatric video laryngoscopes to help critical care nurses and paramedics insert breathing tubes into patients’ airways. Funds were also used for training our medical team on the use of this equipment. Over the past 10 years, Arbella Insurance Foundation has donated almost $140,000 to Boston MedFlight. Beverly Tangvik is President of the Arbella Insurance Foundation and believes strongly in Boston MedFlight. “Through our insurance business, Arbella Insurance Group, we understand how important it is for people to get immediate attention during crises,” said Beverly. “People count on that attention, and they don’t under-
stand that Boston MedFlight is a nonprofit,” she added. “They just think of Boston MedFlight as ‘those guys in the blue suits.’ We’re trying to help change that.” In the spring of 2015, Boston MedFlight participated in a Facebook “likes” campaign with Arbella Insurance Foundation. They pledged $5 (up to $5,000) for every “like” their Facebook Boston MedFlight-related posts received during a three-week campaign. The response was far more than anyone anticipated—one post alone gained 10,000 likes and more than 1,000 shares! The Facebook community also contributed scores of deeply touching comments and patient photos—well worth perusing at http://bit.ly/AIF-BMF. The Arbella Insurance Foundation is focused on “very local, very New England” organizations with a particular interest in safe driving and community outreach programs. “We support organizations that are supporting our neighbors,” Beverly noted. “Our long-term relationship with Boston MedFlight speaks to who they are as an organization. They invite us in and we see firsthand the impact of our support. That’s important.” The foundation has long served as a primary sponsor of Boston MedFlight patient reunions. “These reunions are an opportunity for patients and their families to see and reconnect with the individuals, vehicles, and equipment that saved their lives,” Beverly said. “It’s important closure to a traumatic experience.” As Beverly observes, Boston MedFlight shares Arbella Insurance Foundation’s mission to support the community. We are fortunate to have the enthusiastic support and investment of Arbella Insurance Foundation. As Beverly generously said: “It’s truly a partnership.”
Beverly Tangvik (center) of Arbella Insurance Foundation visits Boston MedFlight with Bob Dowling, Sr. (right) and Bob Dowling, Jr. (left) of Dowling Insurance, Arbella Insurance agents and proud supporters of Boston MedFlight.
BOSTON MEDFLIGHT OVER THE YEARS
2016
Board of Trustees Ann Prestipino Chair Senior Vice President, Surgical & Anesthesia Services & Clinical Business Development Massachusetts General Hospital Brien Barnewolt, MD Treasurer Chairman and Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine Tufts Medical Center
Significant Milestones in Our History
2003 Boston MedFlight obtains independent licensure for ground critical care transport (GCCT) and employs dedicated EMT drivers. Based upon increased demand, a second BK-117 C1 model is added as a third rotor-wing aircraft.
Jayne Carvelli-Sheehan Clerk Senior Vice President, Ambulatory & Emergency Services & System Clinical Integration Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
2004
Boston MedFlight adds a second ground critical care transport vehicle to be stationed in Plymouth, MA, to work in conjunction with the BK-117.
Alasdair K. Conn, MD Chair Emeritus Chief Emeritus, Department of Emergency Medicine Massachusetts General Hospital Stanley W. Ashley, MD Chief Medical Officer Brigham & Women’s Hospital Alastair Bell, MD Chief Operating Officer Boston Medical Center Peter Burke, MD Chief, Trauma Services Boston Medical Center Monica Kleinman, MD Medical Director, Critical Care Transport Program, Division of Critical Care Medicine Boston Children’s Hospital Malisa Schuyler Director, Government Relations Tufts Medical Center Julia Sinclair Senior Vice President, Clinical Services Brigham & Women’s Hospital Wendy Warring Senior Vice President, Network Development & Strategic Partnerships Boston Children’s Hospital Richard Wolfe, MD Chief, Emergency Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston MedFlight 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.”
2005 Boston MedFlight celebrates 20 years of service and 27,800 patients transported. Boston MedFlight adopts the motto “Your Life. Our Mission.” Critical care ground transport volume doubles.
2006 All pilots receive night vision goggle (NVG) qualification training; all helicopters are modified to use NVGs for enhanced visibility and safety in night operations.
PATI E NT P R O FI LE
Gratitude Grows on Nantucket By Susan Whitlock AS AN AVID GARDENER, I LOVE LIVING ON NANTUCKET. I SPEND AS MUCH TIME IN MY GARDEN AS I CAN AND ENJOY CONNECTING WITH THE MANY OTHER FLORA ENTHUSIASTS
In July 2013, I was asked to participate in the island’s annual garden tour. I was delighted to sign on as a participant—and hired an assistant to help me get the garden in tip-top condition.
IN OUR COMMUNITY.
In the evening of July 21, while my husband was in Boston, I noticed that a rainfall had caused our garden lights to turn off. I headed outside to flip the circuit breaker in the basement. I was wearing my Crocs sandals, as they wouldn’t leave footprints in the garden. Not knowing that the plastic sandals have no traction on a wet surface, I got to the third step from the bottom, lost my footing—and bam! I landed hard on my left side. I lay there in a heap for a moment, thinking to myself that I really needed to get up. So I did. I took care of the circuit breaker, went back up into the house, cooked dinner, and had a glass of wine. All the while, I was in an increasing amount of pain. My garden assistant sent me a text message to check in—and I told her I’d fallen down the stairs. She was concerned and asked if I needed any help. I told her I was fine. She texted me again at 10:00 pm—and I told her that actually, I didn’t feel so good. Fortunately, she came over immediately. She found me upstairs with my knees locked against the side of my bed, bent over with my face down, in terrible pain.
ARE WE THERE YET?
The next thing I knew, I was in a Boston MedFlight helicopter headed for Mass General. It was raining hard and I heard thunder. A woman with a helmet sat next to me in the back of the helicopter. I asked her to tell the pilot “No swooping” as I have problems with motion sickness. “Oh,” she said, “I’ll take care of that,” and put something in my IV. After what seemed like ages, I asked her if we were there yet. “No,” she responded kindly, “It’s only been five minutes.” At the time, my husband and I had an apartment at Charles River Park in Boston—from which we could see helicopters landing on the roof at Mass General. My husband was notified about my fall and was told to expect my arrival by helicopter.
She called 911.
We average more than one trip a day to and from the Martha’s Vineyard—communities that are logistically d
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BOSTON MEDFLIGHT OVER THE YEARS
Significant Milestones in Our History
2008
It turns out that I had cracked a few things in my back and was bleeding internally. If I hadn’t had transport to a world-class hospital, I would have been in serious trouble.
A state-of-the-art medical simulation center begins training Boston MedFlight crew at the Bedford, MA, base.
INVESTED IN HOPE
Nantucket has about 10,000 year-round residents— and that number grows to 50,000 in the summer months.
2009 A Sikorsky S76 C++ is purchased to replace the Dauphin helicopter. The S76 provides added range, airspeed, and capacity to meet the needs of transporting patients who require specialty care, additional equipment, and/or additional medical personnel for transport.
If you’re 30 miles offshore and in need of emergency medical transport, in terms of speed and medical expertise there is basically one option. Boston MedFlight provides your best bet for a positive outcome.
40,000th patient transport completed.
I often hear Boston MedFlight helicopters passing over our house—landing and taking off from Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Every time I do, I whisper “Godspeed.” By supporting Boston MedFlight, we can ensure that each of those people in need has the opportunity to get the medical care they require— and live many more years to tell the tale.
2010
If I hadn’t had transport to a world-class hospital, I would have been in serious trouble.
e islands of Nantucket and dependent on our services.
2011
“Above & Beyond”: Boston MedFlight celebrates 25 years of excellence in critical care transport and safety.
Boston MedFlight establishes a third base of operation at Lawrence Municipal Airport in Lawrence, MA.
An additional critical care ground ambulance is purchased; all three Boston MedFlight bases have dedicated ground transport capabilities in addition to air. Boston MedFlight begins transporting patients who are on heart assist devices or ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation).
2012 50,000th patient transport completed.
Got Clouds? No Problem. NAVIGATING A MEDICAL HELICOPTER TO A HOSPITAL HELIPAD IN BOSTON’S CONGESTED AIRSPACE DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER IS NO SIMPLE MATTER , but Boston MedFlight has be-
come the first in the country to utilize global positioning system (GPS) technology to make such a trip in a major metropolitan area. Pilots navigate airspace in one of two ways: visual guidance or instrument navigation. While Boston MedFlight is able to navigate to Boston hospital helipads in good weather using visual guidance, and can land at airports in cloudy conditions thanks to radio beacon technology, in the past our helicopters were unable to land or take off from hospital helipads when the skies weren’t clear. This meant that in poor weather conditions, patients had to be flown to Bedford or Logan Airports and then taken by ground ambulance to a downtown hospital— losing precious time when every second counts.
In September 2015, that changed. After five years working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Logan tower controllers, and regional air traffic control, Boston MedFlight can now use GPS technology and instrument approach procedures to safely land at Boston hospital helipads in inclement weather. “The major benefit of these instrument approaches is that they allow us a higher safety margin,” said Rick Kenin, General Manager for Aviation Operations at Boston MedFlight. “Helicopters need to see the ground in order to land. Now, in cloudy conditions, our helicopters can use instrument approach procedures to land directly at one of five downtown Boston hospital helipads.” Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and Tufts Medical Center are now certified by the FAA for instrument approach procedures, allowing our helicopters to land and depart
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BOSTON MEDFLIGHT OVER THE YEARS
Significant Milestones in Our History
under marginal weather conditions, such as rain and cloud cover. (Boston Children’s Hospital receives patients from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital helipad, which is adjacent to their facility.) Most helicopters can’t fly in icing conditions, which means that helicopter transport in cloudy weather is only an option in the spring, summer, and early fall. In those seasons, using GPS will allow for numerous additional helicopter transports annually to hospi- tals downtown. “The window to use the instrument approach procedure is limited in a city like Boston,” said Kenin. “But for those times when every minute is critical for a patient, it can make all the difference.” While helicopter air ambulance systems in New Hampshire and Maine have utilized GPS to land at hospitals for several years, Boston MedFlight is the first in the country to use the technology in an area so close to a major metropolitan airport, and in a city as big and busy as Boston. “The unique challenges for medical helicopter navigation in Boston is the close proximity to Logan International Airport—which necessitates a lot of safety restrictions—and all the tall buildings downtown,” said Kenin. Our next phase will include having instrument approach equipment at community hospitals across eastern Massachusetts. In the future, we may also share these procedures with the other Northeast Air Alliance (NEAA) operators capable of flying in instrument conditions, thus improving the care for all critically ill patients in New England. NEAA is an alliance of medical helicopter providers from Eastern New York to Maine.
2013 Boston MedFlight receives the Critical Care Ground Award of Excellence from the Association of Air Medical Services for an “outstanding contribution in enhancing safety, education, leadership, and patient advocacy.” Boston MedFlight receives the Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award 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.” In-transport heliox capability added for treatment of patients with respiratory distress from significant upper airway blockage or from asthma.
2014 To further enhance its aviation capabilities, Boston MedFlight purchases a second Airbus EC145 helicopter. The BK-117 goes through a service refurbishment to serve as a backup aircraft for operations and training. The fleet now includes four helicopters: three always in service and one serving as backup. In response to increasing demand, the ground critical care ambulance fleet grows to include five vehicles: three always in service and two as dedicated backup.
Patient Reunion BOSTON MEDFLIGHT’S PATIENT REUNIONS ARE AN INTENSE AND CONNECTIVE EXPERIENCE.
The 2015 patient reunion, held in May at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA, brought together more than 400 guests—including many former patients along with their families and friends—who joined members of the Boston MedFlight critical care team and their colleagues. For many former patients and their families, the reunion was their first opportunity to speak with the Boston MedFlight staff who, in many cases, literally saved their lives or the lives of their loved ones on the day of their transport. Not surprisingly, many of these conversations were quite emotional. Connecting in an environment removed from the traumatic circumstances that surrounded their transport, former patients and their families and friends enjoyed exploring the vehicles that transported them and learning more about the work that Boston MedFlight does for emergent patients in need, just like them. And in an unplanned demonstration of our work, one of helicopters was called to conduct a transport, so guests were eager to watch it take off, and later saw it land and the pilot and crew return after a successful mission in service of yet another patient in need. It was a “feel-good” day for everyone involved, underscoring the importance of Boston MedFlight’s mission and the far-reaching impact of what we do every day.
Supporting Boston MedFlight, Swing by Swing this day it was the helicopter taking off and circling the golf course that signaled it was time to tee off. It was quite a sight, and a thrill for everyone present.
ON AUGUST 28, 2015, MORE THAN 120 GOLFERS CONVENED AT BROOKMEADOW COUNTRY CLUB IN CANTON, MA, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST ANNUAL BOSTON MEDFLIGHT GOLF
On a beautifully maintained, challenging course, golfers enjoyed the perfect weather, great camaraderie, and friendly competition, all in support of Boston MedFlight. SCRAMBLE.
Many aspects of the event were unique to Boston MedFlight. Each team had its photo taken in front of a beautiful Boston MedFlight helicopter on the 18th fairway, directly in front of the green and clubhouse. (Team photos were printed and framed for each participant by the time they finished their round.) And rather than the traditional air horn commonly used to notify players to begin in a shotgun start event, on
Exciting elements such as the opportunity to win a new Cadillac SUV with a hole-in-one, holes with prizes for longest drive and closest to the pin, and side competitions such as a putting contest with a $5,000 top prize all added to the fun and excitement of the day. A delicious buffet was served following play, and participants and volunteers had the opportunity to win raffle prizes and bid on a selection of terrific auction items, from golf outings to overnight trips and signed sports memorabilia. Net proceeds from the event went to support Boston MedFlight’s operations, providing important resources to help ensure that our organization can continue to deliver the best critical care transport to the region’s sickest patients in need. We are grateful to all the participants, generous sponsors, and everyone who purchased auction items, with special thanks to the volunteers who ensured that the event ran smoothly and contributed so significantly to the players’ enjoyment. Mark your calendar to join us for the Second Annual Boston MedFlight Golf Scramble at Brookmeadow Country Club on Friday, August 26, 2016!
23 IN-KIND DONORS The individuals and businesses listed below supported the 2015 Boston MedFlight Golf Scramble by providing in-kind donations, including items that were included in the event’s fundraising auction and raffle. We are grateful for their important support.
SPONSORS The companies listed below provided financial support for the 2015 Boston MedFlight Golf Scramble. We are grateful for their important generosity, which was essential to making the event a great success. AAFCPAs AgustaWestland Airbus Helicopters, Inc. AirSure Limited LLC Allianz Global Risks US Insurance Company Armstrong Ambulance Services Broadleaf Services, Inc. Cataldo Ambulance Service Controlled Substance Security Consultants, Inc. Coverys Community HealthCare Foundation Donoghue Barrett & Singal, PC Eascare, LLC Ambulance Service Era Helicopters Fallon Ambulance Service Global Aerospace Hamilton Medical Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Helicopter Specialties Industrial Communications JSSI Management Enterprises, Inc. NAACS One Call Medical Transports ProEMS Red Sox Foundation Seaport Companies Signature Flight Support Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Starr Aviation Peter and Christine Teague USTeleCenters Village Green Nurseries XL Catlin Zoll Medical
AAFCPAs Altitude Trampoline Park AMC Theatres Aviall Bayberry Hills Golf Club Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Bond Auto Parts, Inc. Boston Beer Company Boston Bruins Boston Celtics Boston Harbor Cruises Cape Air Cape Cod Ice Cape Cod Potato Chips Cataldo Ambulance Service Chili’s Coca-Cola Dunkin Donuts Hampton Inn, Norwood, MA Hi-Line Tools Thomas Hudner III Maura and Scott Hughes iRobot J.P. Licks Jillian’s Boston Keurig King’s Bowl Burlington Lowell Spinners Merrimack Repertory Theatre Miacomet Golf Club Mohegan Sun New England Aquarium New England Patriots Charitable Foundation New England Revolution Charitable Foundation Ninety-Nine Restaurants Pepsi-Cola Reliance Standard Seaport Companies SkinCare Physicians Snap On Tools Spa Nijoli Staples Tavern in the Square Peter and Christine Teague Tewksbury Country Club Titleist Golf Tony C’s Sports Bar and Grill TPC Boston Trull Brook Golf Course and Tennis Center UMass Lowell Village Green Nurseries Vineyard Vines Waterfront Concerts, Bangor, ME Wegmans Food Markets Whole Foods Market
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, Robins Street, Hangar 1727, Hanscom Air Force Base, 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 Department 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 Department at 781-457-5346 or giving@bostonmedflight.org. B E Q U E S T S A N D O T H E R E S TAT E G I F T S
A bequest is a gift made through a will or trust. It may take the form of a specific dollar amount, a percentage of one’s estate, or be a part 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.
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BOSTON MEDFLIGHT OVER THE YEARS
Significant Milestones in Our History 2015
M AT C H I N G G I F T S
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
Another 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.
Boston Medical Center has relied on Boston MedFlight for over 30 years to bring us those patients who need the highest level of critical care. Our partnership goes well beyond patient transport and emergent care by providing our region with comprehensive and coordinated services. At Boston Medical Center we are proud to provide exceptional care. —Kate Walsh, CEO, Boston Medical Center
Boston MedFlight celebrates 30 years of service. 60,000th patient transport completed. Neonatal and pediatric transport capabilities are expanded. Internal nitric oxide capability added for treatment of patients with severe respiratory distress caused by pulmonary hypertension. Boston MedFlight’s CEO and Medical Director, Dr. Suzanne Wedel, is named Medical Director of the Year by the international organization Air Medical Physician Association. With the culmination of a five-year project led by Boston MedFlight to create a system of GPS instrument approach procedures to downtown Boston hospitals, BMF completes its first transport utilizing the new navigation system. Boston MedFlight receives the Night Vision Five-Year Service Award from the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) for dedication to safety awareness and proficiency in utilizing night vision goggles during nighttime operations.
B OSTO N MEDFL I GHT FY1 5 DONOR LIST
The donors listed below made outright gifts to Boston MedFlight between October 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015, during our 2015 fiscal year.
$20,000 AND ABOVE The Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Tupancy-Harris Foundation* Mr. Scott Ulm and Ms. Pamela Wilton Ulm Charitable Fund $10,000–$19,999 Arbella Insurance Foundation* Era Helicopters Mr. and Mrs. John Loose* Vineyard Golf Club Foundation* $5,000–$9,999 Anonymous AgustaWestland AirSure Limited AAFCPAs Mrs. Paula Butler Mrs. Martha Cox* Cox Foundation*
Donoghue Barrett and Singal, PC Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Field Mr. Tony Hatoun and Ms. Andrea Levitt Metro Aviation Nantucket Golf Club Foundation* Ms. Sylvia Richards Dr. and Mrs. John West* Zoll Medical* $1,000–$4,999 Anonymous Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Armstrong Ambulance Services Allianz Global Risks US Insurance Company Airbus Helicopters, Inc. Cataldo Ambulance Service Coverys Community HealthCare Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Gary Beller*
* I N D I C AT E S F I V E O R M O R E Y E A R S O F C O N S E C U T I V E G I V I N G
The Gary A. and Carole P. Beller Family Fund* The Boston Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Brown Ms. Polly Brown* Mr. Marshall Carter Ms. Jeanette Chatel Mr. Christopher Cherry* Cherry Family Foundation* Ms. Pamela Van Hoven Clark* Dr. Alasdair Conn and Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel* Dr. and Mrs. John Craighead Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dowling* Dowling Insurance Agency* Eascare, LLC Ambulance Service Mr. James Flaws and Ms. Marcia Weber* Mr. and Mrs. Robert Friedman* Mr. and Mrs. Louis Gerstner* Gerstner Family Foundation* Glidden’s Island Seafood* Ms. Carolyn Grimes Mrs. Mimi Haas Mimi and Peter Haas Fund Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hale Mrs. Lucile Hays* Mr. Brian J. Knez Mr. and Mrs. Robert Levy Drs. William Meehan and Laura Roebuck* Mr. Richard Menschel* Charina Foundation* Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Mittenthal* New England Development Management LLP Mr. Robert J. Newhouse, Jr.* Mr. and Mrs. Lee Pickard* Ms. Ann Prestipino* ProEMS Ms. Kathleen Racicot Ms. Karen W. Rainwater* Red Sox Foundation Mr. and Mrs. David Ross* Ross Foundation* Signature Flight Support
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Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Spring Sea Run Opener, Nantucket Starr Aviation Mr. Robert Sylvia Mr. and Mrs. Jack Tatelman The Hannah and Bill Wallace Fund of the Princeton Area Community Foundation* Mr. and Mrs. Tom Weinstock* Mr. and Mrs. F. Helmut Weymar* Weymar Family Foundation, Twin Chimney, Inc.*
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Rogers* Mr. and Mrs. Fred Schwartz Seaport Companies Mr. and Mrs. Gary Shearer Mr. Craig Stapleton Stapleton Charitable Trust USTelecenters Mr. Richard Verney* Gilbert Verney Foundation* Ms. Wendy Warring Mr. and Mrs. Finn Wentworth* XL Specialty Insurance Company
$500–$999 Ms. Mariann Hundahl Appley Mr. and Mrs. Stephan Baptista* Mr. Robert Lipp and Ms. Martha Berman The Bari Lipp Foundation, Inc. Ms. Lucinda Barrett Mr. Kenneth Bartels and Ms. Jane Condon* Dr. Alastair Bell* Bose Corporation Foundation Controlled Substance Security Consultants, Inc. Ms. Irina Dictenberg Mr. and Mrs. Robert Egan Global Aerospace Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Goetze Hamilton Medical Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Helicopter Specialties Mr. Adrian Jackson Jackson Lewis P.C. Mrs. and Mr. Ralph Jones Mr. Thomas Kershaw Kershaw Foundation Charitable Trust Dr. Monica Kleinman* Ms. Joan Lapham* Mr. Willard Lee Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Mandell Samuel P. Mandell Foundation Marblehead Community Charter Public School Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McCasland Ms. Beth Myers NAACS Mr. and Mrs. David Northrup James and Patricia O’Connor Mr. and Mrs. Philip Read Mrs. Patricia Reighley* Mr. Whitman Richards
$250–$499 Mr. Gerald Biondi Mr. T. Kimball Brooker T. Kimball Brooker Foundation Ms. Diana Brown Mr. Jonathan Brown— J. Brown Builders Ms. Tina Brown* Mr. Laurence Clancy and Ms. Kathleen Tilton Mrs. Kelley Coye Mr. James Crabtree* Ms. Carol Cross Mrs. Mary Espy* Dr. Adoracion Estanislao Exploration School* Mr. and Mrs. Jack Faer* Foxborough Regional Charter School
* I N D I C AT E S F I V E O R M O R E Y E A R S O F C O N S E C U T I V E G I V I N G
Dr. and Mrs. Frederic Frigoletto, Jr., M.D.* Mr. and Mrs. Joseph T. Grause, Jr. Mrs. Sarah Hindle* Mr. David Holmes Mr. Michael Hoopingarner The Horchow Family* Chatham Hill Investment Partnership* Mr. Thomas Hudner III JSSI Management Enterprises, Inc. Mr. Barry Kingham Lawrence General Hospital Ms. Jean Levins Mr. Mark Luthringshauser Mr. Craig Marin Ms. Sheila McGannon* Mr. and Mrs. Robert Newhouse* Mr. and Mrs. William O’Callaghan Mr. and Mrs. Edward O’Neil Mr. Theodore Osiecki Mrs. Daisy Soros Paul Soros Family Trust Hector and Janet Pope Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Rosinoff* Mrs. Karen Urban Rovinski Ms. Malisa Schuyler Ms. Julia Sinclair* Ms. Cynthia Slade* Mrs. Jane Slater Mr. and Mrs. William Snyder* South Shore Hospital
F Y 15 DO NO R L I ST
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Vaughan Village Green Nurseries Mr. and Mrs. Scott Whitlock Ms. McCartney Wilkins Dr. Richard Wolfe* Mr. and Mrs. Marc Wolpow UP TO $249 Anonymous Mr. E. Brady Aikens Mrs. Denise Albano Mr. and Mrs. Francis Aliberte* Mr. and Mrs. Charles Balas Mr. and Mrs. John Andel Ms. Margaretta Andrews Mr. and Mrs. John Arakelian* Mr. Todd Arnow Mr. and Mrs. Joel Aronson* Mr. Ronald Arruda Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Arvay* Dr. Stanley Ashley* Mr. and Mrs. John Backus* C. R. Bard Foundation Dr. and Mrs. David Barlow Dr. Brien Barnewolt* Ms. Carol Barrett Mr. and Mrs. William Bartlett Mr. and Mrs. George Bassett Mr. and Mrs. Norman Bastarache* Mr. Frank Batista Mr. and Mrs. William Beattie* Ms. Donna Belmore Ms. Sophia Benalfew Ms. Helen Berardi* Mrs. Joan Binford Mr. and Mrs. Donald Bingham Ms. Janet Birch* Ms. Deborah Black Mr. Peter Boak Mrs. Shirley Bonanno Ms. Karen Borchert* Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bosco Mr. Michael Boylan Mr. Robert Brandano Mrs. Joanne Brandt Ms. Marjorie Brewer Broadleaf Services, Inc. Rev. James Broderick Mr. James Brown Mr. Richard Brown Mrs. Shelley Brown* Mrs. Christine Brunelle Pappalardo Realty Trust
Mr. John Buchanan Mr. and Mrs. Richard Buckley Mrs. Katherine Bulgaris Mr. David Bullock Dr. Peter Burke* Mr. and Mrs. Walter Burke Mr. Michael Bussell* Ms. Mary Butler Mr. Gary Calderwood Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Calisi* Ms. Mary Cameron Ms. Madelyn Canniff Mr. and Mrs. William Canon Ms. Joan Cantwell Mr. and Mrs. Vito Capizzo* Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Capobianco Mr. and Mrs. John Carey Ms. Rosemarie Carey Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Carrey Ms. Jayne Carvelli-Sheehan* Ms. Colleen Cassidy
* I N D I C AT E S F I V E O R M O R E Y E A R S O F C O N S E C U T I V E G I V I N G
Centerville Osterville Marston Mills Fire Fighters Local 2346 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Charpie* Mr. Tom Clarke and Ms. Alison Hodges Mrs. Nancy Clay Ms. Joan Clifford Mrs. Judith Cobb Dr. Howard Cohen Ms. Nancy Colby Mr. and Mrs. Allen Collins Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Collins Mrs. Carol Connelly Mr. and Mrs. John Connors Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Cook Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Corcoran Mr. and Mrs. David Cores* Mr. and Mrs. Howard T. Costa, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Crevensten Ms. Tania Cruz Mrs. Theresa Curtis
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Ms. Sharon Daly Mrs. Jeannette Davis Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dellapi Mr. Vincent DeLuca Ms. Diane Denison Mr. and Mrs. Brian Denton Ms. Kathleen Deroma Ms. Susan Deutsch Susan M. Deutsch Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Devine Mr. Robert Dias AnnaKarin Dillard Mr. and Mrs. Richard D’Innocenzo* Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dobies* Mr. and Mrs. John Doelp Mrs. Sally Donnellan Mr. William Doyle Dr. and Mrs. William Druckemiller* Ms. Ann Dunleavy Ms. Cecelia Durham Mr. David Earl Mrs. Lauren Elias Mrs. Carol Ellsworth* Mr. and Mrs. William Emswiler III Mr. and Mrs. Fernando Esteban* Mr. Nicholas Eufrazio Fallon Ambulance Service Mr. Kenneth Fallon Ms. Janet Fazio Mr. and Mrs. Morton Fearey, Jr.* Mr. and Mrs. William Fenniman Mr. and Mrs. Richard Fichter Mrs. Joan Fisher* Mr. Edward Fitzpatrick Ms. Cecelia Fleming Mr. and Mrs. Carl Flodin* Mr. Richard Fournier Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Francis* Mr. Carl Peter Fredland Mr. Mark Fredland Ms. Rachel Freeman Mr. and Mrs. James Gallagher Mrs. Sarah Galpern Mr. John Gedutis Mr. and Mrs. Donald George Mrs. Karen Giar Mr. Charles F. Gieg, Jr.* Mr. Thomas Giffin* Mrs. Elizabeth Gilbert Mr. and Mrs. Steve Godwin Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Goodwillie, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gould Mr. Philip Grace
Ms. Jean Graupner Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Gray Ms. Toby Greenberg Mr. Kenneth R. Gross Mr. and Mrs. Paul Guyon Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hall* Ms. Melissa Hancock Mr. Frank Harbruner Ms. Linda Hardy Mr. and Mrs. James Harmon Mr. and Mrs. David Hatch* Ms. Heidi Hatch Mr. Walter Healey* Mrs. Mary W. Heller Mr. Robert Hellman Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Helvitz Ms. Lynne Hermanspan Ms. Abby Hiatt Shepp Mr. and Mrs. Greg Hill Ms. Grace Hinkley* Ms. Marjorie Hockmuth* Mr. Donald Holdgate Mr. and Mrs. Michael Horvitz* Mr. Philip Hubbard* Ms. Adriana Ignacio Ms. Carole Imondi Industrial Communications Mr. and Mrs. Larrie Ingalls
* I N D I C AT E S F I V E O R M O R E Y E A R S O F C O N S E C U T I V E G I V I N G
International Association of Firefighters Local 1580 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jekanowski Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Johnson* Mr. and Mrs. David Johnson Mr. and Mrs. G. Lane Johnson* Mr. Robert Kamilewicz Mr. Thomas Kasper Mrs. Sheri Kaufman Mrs. Gail Keene** Keith D. Weiner & Associates Co., LPA Mrs. Anne S. Kelly* Ms. Barbara Kennedy Mr. and Mrs. Howard Kierstead Ms. Mary Ann Killgoar* Dr. and Mrs. Jack Kindler Ms. Ruth Knapp Mr. William Knight Mr. Bill Koutrobis Ms. Donna Kovach Mrs. Elaine Kulesa Mr. Dennis LaCerda Mr. Frank LaGrassa Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Laliberte Ms. Marilyn Lally Mr. and Mrs. Felix LaPorte* Mrs. Caroline Lathrop*
F Y 15 DO NO R L I ST
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Leach Ms. Joan Leighton* Ms. Rosamond Leonard Ms. Elinor Letsche Mr. Justin Lewis Mrs. Mary Litwinsky Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lochhead Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lord* Mr. and Mrs. William Lord Mr. and Mrs. Jim Lowe Mr. Stanley Machnik Mr. Richard C. Mack Mr. James Maher Ms. Mary Maher Mr. Michael Manley Mansfield Fire Fighters Local #1820 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Markee Ms. Elizabeth Marsh Ms. Denise Martin Mr. Rodney Maurice Ms. Elizabeth Mautner Ms. Allison Mayer Mr. and Mrs. Richard McCormick* Ms. Maureen McDonald Mr. and Ms Kevin McFarland Mrs. Gyneth McGarvey* Mr. John McGovern Mr. Donald McNeice Mr. and Mrs. James McSweeney Mr. G Nicholas Miller Mr. and Mrs. Harry Mintz Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Mitchell Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mleczko Ms. Ann Marie Modeste-George Mrs. Louise Molter Mr. Harvey Morris* Ms. Kimberly Morrow Mrs. Martha Mulholland Ms. Alice Murphy Mr. Benjamin Murphy* Mrs. Carol Murphy Ms. Phyllis Murphy Ms. Elizabeth Murray* Mr. Kip Murray Ms. Linda Murray Mr. Edwin Newhall Woods* Mr. Paul Nichols Ms. Marcia Nolan* Mrs. Claire Norton* Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Norwood Ms. Suzanne O’Connor One Call Medical Transports Ms. Elizabeth O’Rourke*
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Owen* Ms. Paula Oxner Mr. Kenneth Pailler Mr. and Mrs. Victor Pallazola* Ms. Heather Parker Ms. Megan Patrick Mr. Ronald Paulding* Mr. and Mrs. Eric Pauly* Mr. Jack Pearson Mr. Robert Penney The Honorable John M. Perone* Ms. Maria Perrone Mr. and Mrs. David Peterson Mr. and Mrs. William Pfeil* Mr. and Mrs. Richard Phelan Judith B. Phelan and Richard S. Phalen Family Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Michael Pirrello, Jr. Ms. Debra Pouche Mrs. Nancy Pritchard Dr. and Mrs. Richard Pulice Ms. Anita Purcell* Mr. and Mrs. James Putney Quality Carton and Converting* Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Raneri* Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Rapperport Ms. Ingela Ray Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ray Ms. Marie Record Mrs. Mary Reese
* I N D I C AT E S F I V E O R M O R E Y E A R S O F C O N S E C U T I V E G I V I N G
Ms. Priscilla Reis* Revere Firefighters Association Local 926* Mr. Ateo Ricciardelli Ms. Jeanne W. Riggs Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Robichaud Mr. and Mrs. Steven and Eleanor Roethke Mr. and Mrs. Steven and Jill Roethke Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Rogers Ms. Lisa Romeo Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Rose Mr. Richard Ross Mr. and Mrs. Sverre Rosvik Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Rouillard Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Rozumek* Rozumek Products* Mrs. Kathleen Rudnicki Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ryder Mr. and Mrs. Scott Sabotka Mr. David Saltiel Ms. V Pearl Sanford Mr. Brian Scanlan Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Schutzberg Ms. Jean Schweis* Mr. Jordon Scoppa* Mr. John Scott Mr. Dominic Sera* Dr. and Mrs. Robert Shapiro Mrs. Elizabeth Shearing
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Mrs. Evelyn Sherman Mr. Michael Simeone Mr. and Mrs. Donald Simi Ms. Carly Simon* Ms. Margaret Skinner Mr. and Mrs. Robert Slysz* Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Small* Mrs. C. Joan Smart Mr. Robert Smith* Rev. Georgia Ann Snell Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Spiezio Ms. Katrina Spiezio Mrs. Patricia Squeglia Mr. and Mrs. John Stackpole Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Stambaugh* Ms. Janet Steinmayer Mr. Charles Stevens Ms. Marina Sutro Mr. Glenn Svenningsen* Ms. Anne Sweidel* Mrs. Dorothy Sykes Mrs. Anita Tavares* Mr. and Mrs. Peter Teague Mr. and Mrs. Roger Temple* Mrs. Ingrid Thamhain Ms. Patricia Thatcher Ms. Mary Thibodeau Ms. Rosanne Thomas
Thompson Builders, Inc. Ms. Sandra Thompson* Mr. Ronald Tierney* Dr. Allan Toole Mrs. Donna Trushin Mr. and Mrs. Michael Varbalow Mrs. Nancy Vecchione Mr. and Mrs. Donald Visco* Mr. and Mrs. D. Warren Vose Ms. J W Ms. Maryanne Waine Mr. and Mrs. Donald Walsh* Ms. Linda Walsh Ms. Patricia Walsh* Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wasierski Ms. Patricia Wazan Dr. and Mrs. William Welch Ms. Janis Wentzell— A Storage Solution Mr. and Mrs. William Wilbur Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wiley* Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Wiley Mr. Warren Woessner* Mrs. Joanne Wood Mr. Maurice Woods Ms. Margaret Zeitler Ms. Maria Zodda Ms. Loretta Zwarts
The Consortium
Boston MedFlight was founded in 1985 through a collaborative effort 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. For more than three decades, these six consortium hospitals have worked together to provide critically ill and injured patients with the advanced level of care they require, relying on Boston MedFlight as their lifeline. No other program in the United States features this type of long-standing collaboration. Boston MedFlight coordinates with these leading medical centers, putting all competition aside, to make the very best decision for the patient. Each year these consortium hospitals provide financial support to Boston MedFlight operations, which, in addition to insurance reimbursements and philanthropic donations, enables us to deliver life-saving critical care transport. We are grateful to these hospitals for their vital support.
We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of our donor listing. If you identify an error, would like to change the way in which your name is listed in the future, or have a question, please contact our Development Department at 781-457-5346, or giving@bostonmedflight.org.
* I N D I C AT E S F I V E O R M O R E Y E A R S O F C O N S E C U T I V E G I V I N G
CONTRIBUTORS
Janet Alman Mary Arredondo Tom Hudner Maura Hughes Rick Kenin Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel DESIGN & PRODUCTION
David Gerratt/NonprofitDesign.com WRITING & EDITING
Miranda Hersey/Pen and Press
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 Guidestar.org and search “New England Life Flight.�
For more information on charitable giving to Boston MedFlight, please contact our Development Office at 781-863-2213 or giving@bostonmedflight.org. Thank you! Boston MedFlight Robins Street, Hangar 1727 Hanscom Air Force Base, Bedford, MA 01730 (781) 863-2213 www.BostonMedFlight.org
Photographers: Janet Alman, Mary Baker, Michael Carnevale, Nathan Coe, William Doyle, Vahe Ender, Gene Harriman, Tom Hudner, Michael Lanieri, Kenneth Panciocco, and Michael Pieretti
Printed on recycled paper.