LifeFlight of Maine

LifeFlight of Maine is an independent nonprofit air ambulance service with its main office in Bangor, Maine. It brings intensive care level treatment to patients by helicopter, airplane and ground ambulance.

Services

The crews move very sick and hurt patients of all ages. The site lists newborns, heart and stroke patients, serious injuries, burns and transplant cases. Most flights move a patient from one hospital to a bigger one. Some start at the scene, such as a road, a mountain or an island. The service treats patients whatever their ability to pay.

Aircraft and bases

LifeFlight flies five Leonardo A109 series twin engine helicopters and one Beechcraft King Air B200 airplane. Teams work from bases in Sanford, Lewiston and Bangor. Its aircraft are flown and kept by LifeFlight Aviation Services, a subsidiary that holds the FAA Part 135 certificate.

Coverage area

The service covers all of Maine and helps other New England states when asked. The airplane can carry patients farther, including to Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina, and from Toronto back to the United States.

Who it is for

LifeFlight serves people across Maine who need care that a local hospital cannot give. The site says about nine in ten patients move from one hospital to another, and the rest are picked up at the scene. It works with local EMS, fire and rescue crews and hospital teams. The service also runs education and training programs and a program that helps patients with access. The site says it uses strict medical rules to make sure each flight is needed.

Facts

• Established: 1998
• Owners: Northern Light Health and Central Maine Healthcare
• Fundraising arm: The LifeFlight Foundation, set up in 2003
• Corporate office: Bangor