UW Health Med Flight

UW Health Med Flight is the critical care transport program of UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin. It moves patients by helicopter and by ground ambulance.

Services

Med Flight answers emergency scene calls, moves patients between hospitals, and carries newborns to a neonatal intensive care unit. Teams include doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other specialists. The site says patients on ECMO, intra-aortic balloon pumps, ventricular assist devices, inhaled nitric oxide or active cooling can be moved.

Aircraft and bases

The helicopters are EC145 models. The program also runs two critical care ambulances. The bases are Madison, Mineral Point, Janesville and Portage. UW Health employs the medical teams. Pilots and mechanics work for Metro Aviation, Inc.

Coverage area

The service covers Wisconsin and parts of Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. It takes requests for adults, children and newborns.

How requests work

Hospitals use the Access Center number to set up a transfer. Emergency crews on the ground can ask for the helicopter through the Metro Alert app. The site says the helicopters have extra flight and safety features.

For a life or limb threatening emergency, the site tells people to call 911.

Facts

• Run by UW Health
• CAMTS accredited, according to the site
• Serving the region for more than 40 years, says the site
• Pilots and mechanics employed by Metro Aviation, Inc.
• EMS crews can also request Med Flight through the Metro Alert app