New England Life Flight,

d/b/a A trade name, trading name, or business name is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is fictitious business name. Registering the fictitious name with ...

Boston MedFlight (commonly referred to as "BMF"), is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

that provides emergency scene response and emergency interfacility transfer in Eastern Massachusetts at the Critical Care level (higher than the more common

Paramedic A paramedic is a healthcare professional trained in the medical model, whose main role has historically been to respond to emergency calls for medical help outside of a hospital. Paramedics work as part of the emergency medical services (EMS), ...

level) using

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

fixed-wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using aerodynamic lift. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft (in which a rotor mounted on a spinning shaft generate ...

, and ground

ambulance An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...

s. BMF is headquartered at

Hanscom Field Laurence G. Hanscom Field , commonly known as Hanscom Field, is a public use airport operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority, located outside Boston in Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. Hanscom is mainly a general aviation airport, ...

Bedford, Massachusetts Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Bedford was 14,161 at th2022 United States census History ''The following compilation comes from Ellen Abrams (1999) based on information from Abram Engl ...

, with additional bases at Plymouth Municipal Airport on the town line between

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

and

Carver, Massachusetts Carver is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,645 at the 2020 census. It is named for John Carver (Mayflower passenger), John Carver, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony. The town features two po ...

, Mansfield Municipal Airport in

Mansfield, Massachusetts Mansfield is a New England town, town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the United States 2020 Census, the town population is 23,860. Mansfield is 23 miles southwest of Boston and is 22 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Is ...

, and Lawrence Municipal Airport in

North Andover, Massachusetts North Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 30,915. History Native Americans inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European colonizati ...

Overview

The BMF medical team staffing model in all vehicles is one Critical Care Transport Nurse, one Critical Care Transport Specialist (Paramedic). BMF nurses hold multiple other certifications such as Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) (within one year of hire if not already certified), Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) and/or Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN). They are also certified EMTs to comply with

Massachusetts Department of Public Health The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is a governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with various responsibilities related to public health within that state. It is headquartered in Boston and headed bCommissioner Robbie G ...

ambulance staffing guidelines; both types of aircraft are considered ambulances by the Commonwealth. BMF Transport Specialists (paramedics) similarly become Certified Flight Paramedics within one year of hire if they do not already hold FP-C certification. BMF staffs and operates its own communications center at the Bedford headquarters. Communications Specialists are required to be Nationally Registered EMTs, or the Massachusetts equivalent; they are also expected to complete an International Association of Medical Transport Communications Specialists (IAMTCS, formerly National Association of Air-medical Communications Specialists or NAACS) Certified Flight Communicator course within their first year, course schedule permitting. Their helicopter (

rotary wing A rotary-wing aircraft, rotorwing aircraft or rotorcraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft with rotary wings that spin around a vertical mast to generate lift. Part 1 (Definitions and Abbreviations) of Subchapter A of Chapter I of Title 14 of the U ...

) and airplane (

fixed wing A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air aircraft, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using aerodynamic lift. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft (in which a rotor mounted on a spinning shaft generates ...

) pilots are rated at the Airline Transport Pilot level, the highest level of pilot license; pilots have no medical duties during transport other than the safe delivery of the patient and medical team. The critical care ground

s are operated by Massachusetts-certified

emergency medical technician An emergency medical technician (often, more simply, EMT) is a medical professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found serving on ambulances and in fire departments in the US and Canada, as full-time and som ...

s; in contrast to the pilots, they will assist their medical teammates during transfers. MedFlight helicopter in Middleboro

BMF operates five twin-engine helicopters: four

Airbus H145 The Airbus Helicopters H145, formerly the Eurocopter EC145, is a twin-engine light utility helicopter developed and manufactured by Airbus Helicopters. Originally designated as the ''BK 117'', the H145 is based upon the MBB/Kawasaki BK 117, MB ...

s, and one Eurocopter EC-145 (an earlier version of the H145). BMF also operates eight critical care ground ambulances, and a

Beechcraft King Air 200 The Beechcraft Super King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The Model 200 and Model 300 series were originally marketed as the "Super King Air" family; the "Super" designation was dropped in 1996.< ...

fixed-wing aircraft.
BMF transports emergency patients regardless of their ability to pay and is financially supported in part by a seven hospital consortium (as of 2017) of the following: *

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and one of the founding members of Beth Israel Lahey Health. It was formed out of the 1996 merger of Beth Israel Hospital (f ...

Boston Children's Hospital Boston Children's Hospital (formerly known as Children's Hospital Boston until 2013) is the main pediatric training and research hospital of Harvard Medical School, Harvard University. It is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children ...

Boston Medical Center Boston Medical Center (BMC) is a non-profit 514-bed academic medical center and safety-net hospital in the South End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. As part of the Boston Medical Center Health System, the hospital provides primary and s ...

Brigham and Women's Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH or The Brigham) is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two ...

Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is a teaching hospital located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the original and largest clinical education and research facility of Harvard Medical School/Harvar ...

* Tufts Medical Center *

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center The Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, formerly known as the Lahey Clinic, is a physician-led nonprofit teaching hospital of UMass Chan Medical School based in Burlington, Massachusetts. The hospital was founded in Boston in 1923 by surgeon Frank ...

BMF is a

Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) (pronounced ''cames''), is an independent, non-profit agency based in Sandy Springs, South Carolina, which audits and accredits fixed-wing, rotary wing, and surface medical transp ...

(CAMTS) accredited critical care transport service in all three transport modes (Rotor wing, fixed wing and ground critical care). BMF was a founding member of the New England Air Alliance, now known as the North East Air Alliance, along with UMass LifeFlight and Hartford LifeStar. The goal of NEAA is to enhance the safety of air-medical operations in the region through information sharing.

History

*1980-

American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a professional medical association for surgeons and surgical team members, founded in 1913. It claims more than 90,000 members in 144 countries. History The ACS was founded in 1913 as an outgrowth of ...

recommends development of a helicopter transport system for Massachusetts *1984- Boston MedFlight is created and a hospital consortium formed to develop helicopter service *1985- June 26, Boston MedFlight transports its first patient *1992- Second aircraft added to fleet and stationed at Plymouth, Massachusetts airport to expand service to southeastern Massachusetts, the Cape and the Islands *1993- 5,000th patient transported *1995- North aircraft moved from South Boston to

. Offices now located at

Hanscom Air Force Base Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force base located predominantly within Bedford, Massachusetts, with portions extending into the adjoining towns of Lincoln, Concord and Lexington. The facility is adjacent to Hanscom Field ...

's building 1727 *1998- Ground critical care transport service developed in partnership with Armstrong Ambulance *1999- Fixed wing service developed in partnership with Eastern Air Charter *2002- 20,000th patient transported *2003- Independent licensure for ground critical care transport obtained and third helicopter added to fleet *2004- Second ground critical care transport vehicle added to Plymouth Base to work in conjunction with the helicopter *2006- Night vision goggle (NVG) capability in all helicopters *2008- State of the art

medical simulation Medical simulation, or more broadly, healthcare simulation, is a branch of simulation A simulation is an imitative representation of a process or system that could exist in the real world. In this broad sense, simulation can often be used i ...

center begins at Bedford Base *2009- 40,000th patient transported *2010– 25 years of operation celebrated *2011- February 23, Boston Medflight Nurses and Paramedics successfully organize with the Massachusetts Nursing Association. *2011- BMF opens Lawrence Base *2015- Billing staff relocated to Lincoln North, an office building just off-base, due to space constraints *2016- Awarded a long-term lease by

Massport Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) is the port authority for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It owns and operates three airports, Logan International Airport, Hanscom Field, and Worcester Regional Airport, and public terminals in the P ...

for the hangar space designated 'Hangar 12A' on the West Ramp of

, also known as 'the civilian side' of the airfield. New hangar is expected to be completed by the spring of 2018 *2016- March 30, Dr. Suzanne K. Wedel, one of BMF's founders and then-CEO/CMO dies, inspiring BMF to continue her legacy by serving patients with expert care and compassion. *2017- January, Awarded its own Part 135 operator's certificate by the FAA. BMF performs its first independent Part 135 transport in March. BMF also opens its fourth base in Mansfield, Massachusetts. *2018- October, BMF departs

and moves into its new corporate headquarters on the civilian side of

, consolidating its Bedford operations under one roof at Hangar 12A

Citations

External links

Boston MedFlightNorth East Air AllianceHartford LIFE STARUMassMemorial LifeFlightInternational Association of Medical Transport Communications Specialists
Organizations based in Boston Ambulance services in the United States Air ambulance services in the United States Organizations established in 1985 Emergency services in Massachusetts Medical and health organizations based in Massachusetts 1985 establishments in Massachusetts {{Airlines of the United States, state=collapsed