Baptist LifeFlight Celebrates 32 Years of Saving Lives, Caring for Communities

Baptist LifeFlight, Florida’s first hospital-based helicopter ambulance celebrated its 32nd anniversary throughout the month of May 2009.

The third such service in the United States, Baptist LifeFlight is the airborne extension of Baptist Hospital’s state-designated trauma center. LifeFlight paramedics and nurse-paramedics are specially trained and certified to provide the advanced medical interventions necessary to stabilize and maintain critically ill or injured patients while they are en route to the emergency room.

In addition, LifeFlight leads community and health professions education efforts ensuring consistent quality health care. LifeFlight is actively involved in research that directly relates to improved processes and care in the medical transport industry. In fact, within the year, LifeFlight leads approximately 95 training events, seminars and classes.

On call 24 hours a day with four aircrafts in operation, Baptist LifeFlight can be in the air within minutes. LifeFlight utilizes high performance aircrafts that cruise at speeds in excess of 130 miles an hour and has a range of more than 200 statute miles. It is especially well suited to support the Baptist LifeFlight emergency medical transport service.

In 2006 alone, Baptist LifeFlight transported over 2000 patients from within a 100-mile radius of Pensacola. Approximately 65 percent of those calls are scene transports, involving either severely injured or critically ill patients. Inter-hospital transports make up the remaining percentage of flights. Often patients transported by Baptist LifeFlight have neither insurance nor the financial means to reimburse for their flights. Baptist Health Care absorbs this considerable expense, relying on donations to its Baptist Health Care Foundation for help.

Since 1977, Baptist LifeFlight has saved the lives of thousands of people in northwest Florida and south Alabama.

LifeFlight began operations on May 14, 1977 with a flight from Memorial Hospital in Panama City back to Baptist. In the early years some flights of significance included the transport of 17 people in November 1978 from the beach at Gulf Point after a passenger train derailment dumped anhydrous ammonia at the scene. LifeFlight also assisted in the rescue and transport of patients after the National Airlines crash in Pensacola Bay in May 1978.

Also, of great significance is LifeFlight?s unequaled safety record. The program has grown from a single aircraft doing 30 flights per month to a regional four helicopter transport system transporting about 200 patients per month from bases in three states.

Since 1977 Baptist LifeFlight has saved the lives and well-being of thousands of people in the northwest Florida and south Alabama area.