Duke Life Flight

Duke Life Flight is a critical care air and ground transport program. It is part of Duke University Health System and is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. It serves North Carolina and the surrounding regions.

The program operates two rotor wing aircraft. Each aircraft is staffed with a pilot and two critical care providers. The aircraft respond to both interfacility transports and scene transports. Duke Life Flight is one of the few rotor wing aeromedical programs in North Carolina certified for instrument flight rules, so it can keep flying in difficult weather.

Helicopter transports make up nearly 20 percent of the program's volume. The team handles more than 1,000 critical care transport cases a year. These include patients on ECMO, intra-aortic balloon pumps, Impella devices, nitric oxide ventilation, and transport isolettes.

The aircraft carry packed red blood cells, plasma, and critical care resources such as i-STAT blood analysis. When distance prevents transport by helicopter or ground, the program uses fixed wing aircraft in coordination with MedCenter Air in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Duke Life Flight also runs a fleet of advanced life support and critical care ground ambulances. The ground units carry patients when flying is not possible. The program cares for adults, pediatric patients, and neonates, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The communications center coordinates requests with local emergency services. The program also provides event medicine and a hospital code team. Outreach includes a landing zone class, a ride along program for students and medical staff, and tours of the aircraft and helipad by request.

Services

• Helicopter transport
• Ground transport
• Critical care transport
• Communications center
• Event medicine
• Hospital code team
• Landing zone class
• Ride-along program
• Neonatal and pediatric transport