UW Health Med Flight

UW Health Med Flight provides critical care transport by air and ground 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service cares for critically ill and injured patients of all ages throughout the region. The program has served the area for over 40 years, performing more than 2,000 transports annually.

The medical teams include doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and specialty care providers trained in emergency medicine. The program routinely flies with a physician or specialty care provider on board, which is rare nationally. Patients transported can be supported by ECMO, intra-aortic balloon pumps, ventricular assist devices, inhaled nitric oxide, active cooling treatments, or an isolette for newborns.

UW Health Med Flight operates EC145 model helicopters equipped with enhanced flight and safety features. Each helicopter carries advanced medical equipment and emergency medications. The program also runs critical care ground ambulances that offer mobile ICU-level care during transport. Newborns who need neonatal intensive care can be safely transported to hospitals with NICU services.

The service covers Wisconsin and parts of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota. It works with multiple regional hospitals and coordinates with fire and EMS programs. Emergency transport requests for adults, children, and newborns are made through an Access Center phone line or via an app used by EMS personnel.

The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) and upholds strict patient care and safety standards. Med Flight offers training and educational presentations to hospitals, EMS, and fire services regarding landing zone safety and patient transport preparation.

UW Health Med Flight values safety highly. The program has a track record of providing some of the safest air medical transport services in the country. They emphasize safe operations around rotor blades and work closely with first responders to maintain safety at emergency scenes.

The program also supports communication and quality assurance through follow-up forms and feedback surveys. It participates in community events and provides opportunities to request Med Flight appearances or presentations.

Services

• Critical care helicopter transport
• Critical care ground ambulance transport
• Neonatal intensive care transport
• ECMO patient transport
• Intra-aortic balloon pump transport
• Ventricular assist device transport
• Emergency scene medical response
• Hospital-to-hospital transfer
• Training and educational presentations
• Landing zone safety training