Stanford Medicine Life Flight

Stanford Medicine Life Flight provides air medical and critical care transport services based in Stanford, California. Founded in May 1984, it operates as the hospital helicopter program of Stanford Health Care. The program began as the critical care air transport service of Stanford University Hospital, working in partnership with Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.

Life Flight offers three main services: interfacility transfers of patients throughout California, emergency 911 response for county emergency systems, and specialized team transports from pediatric, neonatal, and obstetric units to bring patients back to Stanford’s comprehensive services. About 20% of flights originate from 911 emergency calls in the greater Bay Area.

The program operates an Airbus EC145 helicopter capable of carrying two patients. Flights are staffed by highly trained registered nurses with advanced critical care and emergency skills. Nurses provide care such as rapid sequence intubation, arterial line placement, and management of patients with ECMO, Impella, and intra-aortic balloon pumps. Every flight carries blood products like packed red blood cells and plasma. Flights may be switched to ambulance transport if weather conditions prevent flying or if a facility cannot accommodate a helicopter.

Stanford Medicine Life Flight serves a broad geographic area, including northern California from the Oregon border down to Santa Barbara, and eastward to Reno, Nevada. Their nurses rotate regularly through adult, pediatric, and neonatal ICUs, emergency departments, labor and delivery, and operating rooms to maintain clinical expertise. Training includes simulation labs and cadaver labs under medical director supervision.

The aviation partner and Part 135 certificated operator is Air Methods Corporation. The four Life Flight pilots have extensive experience with turbine helicopters and maintain instrument flight rules (IFR) ratings for operations in coastal weather. Medical transport is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). Daily maintenance and upkeep of the helicopter are handled by Life Flight’s aviation maintenance technicians.

Stanford Medicine Life Flight works with emergency services and hospitals to ensure safe landing zones and detailed operational procedures. They encourage partnerships for contracted services and outreach programs. The program continues providing critical and emergency patient transport with a focus on advanced medical care in flight and throughout the transport process.

Services

• Interfacility Patient Transfers
• 911 Emergency Response
• Specialty Pediatric Team Transport
• Neonatal Transport
• Obstetric Transport
• Air Medical Critical Care
• Ambulance Ground Transport Backup
• Aeromedical Evacuation
• Flight Nurse Critical Care Services
• Outreach and PR Visits