VITALS Foundation for Medical Transport Professionals

The VITALS Foundation for Medical Transport Professionals is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports people who work in medical transport. It serves crews in rotor wing, fixed wing, ground ambulance and critical care transport. The mailing address on the site is in Austin, Texas.

The foundation says it exists so the industry can give back to its own people in a planned, visible way. It names burnout, trauma and suicide as real problems in this work. It also points to training costs and gaps in safety data.

Its work is split into six programs. Education and training gives scholarships and professional development. Mental health and resilience support offers peer support and programs meant to lower burnout. Industry research and data work produces white papers and shared data. Safety initiatives build standards and tools that crews can use on the next shift. Recognition and peer led advocacy honors people in the field. Dependents grants go to the families of crew members lost in the line of duty.

The people it serves include flight and critical care nurses, paramedics, pilots, drivers, physicians, mechanics, dispatchers, communication specialists, program leaders and survivor families.

On money, the site says at least 85 percent of each gift goes to programs. It sets a cap of 10 to 15 percent for operations and says nothing goes above 15 percent. It says it publishes its Form 990 and annual report. The tax number is shown on the about page.

Visitors can give once or each month, ask about corporate giving, apply for a scholarship, or start a peer support team. The contact page has a form with topics for each of these.