March 1983 |
The Milwaukee Regional Medical Center (MRMC) filed a Notice of Intent and subsequently a Certificate of Need application with the WI Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in Madison . This application was to begin an air medical transport program based at the MRMC campus in Milwaukee , WI . |
April 1983 |
Barbara Hess, Chief Flight Nurse with Lifeline in Rockford, Illinois, begins working with MRMC on a consulting basis. |
October 1983 |
The WI Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued a stipulation allowing MRMC to begin operation of an emergency air medical transportation service in a demonstration project for one year. This service was named Flight For Life (with name approval from the first hospital-based air medical transport program in the United States , based at St. Anthony's Hospital in Denver, CO). Flight For Life became the first air medical helicopter transport program in WI. |
November 1983 |
Six nurses from the Milwaukee County Medical Complex began orientation to flight nursing. |
December 1983 |
Barbara Hess was hired as Program Director with Flight For Life. |
End of December 1983 |
Flight For Life - Wisconsin began as the first air medical service in Wisconsin, flying a single engine Bell Long Ranger helicopter. |
January 1984 |
Flight For Life's first patient was transported from Eagle River Memorial Hospital to the Milwaukee County Medical Complex. |
March 1984 |
Official dedication of the Flight For Life. (Channel 4 TV aired a ½ hour special program about Flight For Life.) |
December 1984 |
Flight For Life - Wisconsin ended their first year by transporting 283 patients. |
April 1985 |
Flight For Life established a "non-dedicated" airplane transport component of its program. |
December 1985 |
Flight For Life transported a total of 503 flights. |
1986 |
Flight For Life - Wisconsin transitioned into a twin engine, BK 117 helicopter. |
1986 |
Flight For Life - International was established, becoming the first 24 hr. dedicated airplane program in WI for patient transport. It remained in service until 1993. |
1987 |
Flight For Life - Wisconsin transfers the first patient in WI on an Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump. |
May 1987 |
Flight For Life began a new "satellite" helicopter service, based at the Northern Illinois Medical Center in McHenry , Illinois . This service began operation in a Bell Long Ranger helicopter. |
October 13-16, 1987 |
Flight For Life hosts the air medical industry's (ASHBEAMS) national convention of 1,500 members at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the MECCA in downtown Milwaukee . Ten helicopters landed on Kilbourn Avenue for display during the three day ASHBEAMS Convention. A second flight line of various ambulance-configured airplanes was located at the International Terminal at General Mitchell Field. |
December 1987 |
Flight For Life transported a total of 697 patients. |
September 21, 1988 |
Scott Air Charter flies Barbara Hess to Boston to accept the ASHBEAMS organization's highest award, the Marriott/Carlson Award, at their annual national convention. Named after the pilot and physician involved in the first known American medical helicopter transport mission in January 1945, this award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated long and dedicated leadership and service to the promotion of emergency air medical services. 2,000 ASHBEAMS members gave a standing ovation as the award was presented. Barbara was nearing the end of her 2-year battle with cancer. |
October 11, 1988 |
Flight For Life grieved the passing of its first Program Director, Barbara Hess. |
December 1988 |
Flight For Life celebrates its fifth anniversary, transporting almost 3,000 patients. |
1989 |
Vince Corrigan becomes the second Program Director for Flight For Life. |
1990 |
Flight For Life - Northern Illinois completes its 1,000 th patient transport. |
February 21, 1991 |
Flight For Life - WI celebrates its seventh anniversary with a special memorial reception for Barbara Hess, during which her Marriott/Carlson Award was placed in the new Bridge Building Conference Center at the Milwaukee County Medical Complex. |
August 1991 |
Dan Burns becomes the third Program Director for Flight For Life. Claire Rayford leaves the Chief Flight Nurse position and remains part of Flight For Life's management team in another role. Jim Singer becomes Chief Flight Nurse. |
June 1992 |
Flight For Life - NIL transitions into a twin engine Bell 222UT helicopter. |
September 1992 |
Flight For Life- NIL hosts a reception at the Northern Illinois Medical Center celebrating its fifth anniversary. |
September 1992 |
Flight For Life bids farewell to Dr. James Mateer, its first Medical Director, and welcomes Dr. Michael Kefer into that position. |
November 13, 1993 |
Flight For Life - WI celebrates its tenth anniversary, inviting former patients and crew members/friends/and dignitaries to also dedicate the new rooftop hangar and helipad, and an upgraded BK 117 helicopter. |
1993 |
Flight For Life- WI transports its 4,000 th patient. |
March 1994 |
Flight For Life presents its first annual Scene Call of the Year award at its annual educational conference. |
December 1994 |
Flight For Life- WI transports its 5,000 th patient. |
1995 |
Flight For Life- NIL transports its 2,000 th patient, also having a record year of 410 flights. |
1995 |
Flight For Life's budget supports the program entirely without "sponsor" support. |
Spring 1996 |
Flight For Life became the first air medical program in WI and the second in IL to be accredited by its national air medical association and CAMTS - the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. |
June 1996 |
Flight For Life - WI transports its 6,000 th patient. |
June 1997 |
Flight For Life - NIL has a reunion celebration with patients/crew members/friends and dignitaries for its 10 th Anniversary. |
1997 |
Flight For Life - WI completes transfer of a patient on a bi-vad and IABP, the first of its kind in WI. The patient was transferred from Sheboygan to
St. Luke's in Milwaukee . |
1997 |
Patty Mitchell becomes Assistant Chief Flight Nurse at Flight For Life - NIL. |
October 1997 |
Flight For Life completes its 10,000 th patient transfer (both sites). |
December 1998 |
Flight For Life begins ALS - Critical Care Ambulance transport, which continued service until March 2000. |
Spring 1999 |
Flight for Life is re-accredited by CAMTS. |
1999 |
Flight For Life celebrates 15 years of safe patient transports. |
2000 |
Flight For Life purchases two BK 117 helicopters to put into service at both sites. |
June 2000 |
Flight For Life-Wisconsin bids farewell to Dr. Michael Kefer and welcomes Dr. Steve Andrews as its third Medical Director. |
December 2000 |
Flight For Life (all sites) transports its 15,000 th patient. |
December 2000 |
Flight For Life transitions the WI site into a newer BK 117 B2 model aircraft. |
Spring 2001 |
Flight For Life - NIL breaks ground for a permanent indoor hangar and crew quarters. |
December 2001 |
Flight For Life-Northern Illinois moves into its new hangar. Flight For Life (all sites) transports 16,000 patients. |
May 2002 |
Flight For Life- Northern Illinois celebrates its 15 years of service 15 th with an Anniversary/Open House celebration in at its new hangar facility. |
September 2002 |
Flight For Life-Milwaukee transports its 10,000 th patient. |
October 2002 |
Flight For Life receives its second re-accreditation from CAMTS. |
november 2002 |
Flight For Life (all sites) transports its 18,000 th patient. |
April 2003 |
Flight For Life (all sites) transports its 19,000 th patient |
November 2003 |
Flight For Life (all sites) transports its20,000th patient. |
January 2004 |
Flight For Life kicks off its 20 th Anniversary celebration at the annual Wisconsin EMS Association conference. The FFL-WI helicopter goes on display for 3 days at the Midwest Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee . |
| August 2004 |
Flight For Life (all sites) transports its 21,000th patient. |
| January 2005 |
Flight For Life installs Sky Connect satellite tracking/Satellite phone into both aircraft. |
| March 2005 |
Flight For Life (all sites) transports its 22,000th patient. |
| July 2005 |
Flight For Life receives its third re-accreditation from CAMTS. |
| October 2005 |
Stu McVicar, FFL-Northern Illinois Flight Paramedic, receives the Association of Air Medical Services Medical Crew Member of the Year Award at the Air Medical Transport Conference in Austin, TX. |
| October 2005 |
Tammy Chatman, FFL-Northern Illinois Professional Relations/Marketing Mgr. receives the Association of Air Medical Services President’s Award at the Air Medical Transport Conference. |
| December 2005 |
Flight For Life (all sites) transports its 23,000th patient. |
| December 2005 |
Linda Cutler, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, retires. |
| January 2006 |
Flight For Life adds Sky Connect satellite tracking system and a satellite phone to both aircraft. |
| April 2006 |
William Hatcher is hired as the new Executive Director of the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center. |
| August 2006 |
Flight For Life adds EMS Charts and a Toughbook computer on each aircraft which will allow for paperless charting on all transports. |
| October 2006 |
Flight For Life announces the addition of XM Weather to both aircraft via the Garmin GNS 430. |
| November 2, 2007 |
Flight For Life says goodbye to Dr. Joe Darin, one of the founders of Flight For Life. |
| Janurary 2, 2007 |
Flight For Life announces the purchase of two new EC145 aircraft for delivery in the first quarter of 2008. |
| May 2007 |
Flight For Life-Northern Illinois celebrates its 20th anniversary. |
| June 11, 2007 |
Flight For Life transports its 25,000th patient. |
|
September 16, 2007 |
Tammy Chatman, Flight For Life-Northern Illinois Professional Relations/Marketing Manager receives the Association of Air Medical Services President’s Award at the Air Medical Transport Conference in Tampa, Florida. |
September 27, 2007 |
Flight For Life announces it will begin operation of a Flight For Life Communications Center in January of 2008. |
September 29, 2007 |
Flight For Life-Northern Illinois celebrates its 20th Anniversary with an Open House at its hangar facility in McHenry, Illinois. |
October 10, 2007 |
Flight For Life announces it will expand the Flight For Life-Wisconsin operation to the Waukesha County Airport-Crites Field. |
| October 28, 2007 |
Flight For Life-Wisconsin recognizes the program’s 25,000th patient in a special event at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac. |
| November 6, 2007 |
Flight For Life says goodbye to one of its founders, Jim Ryan, who died of cancer. |
| November 15, 2007 |
Flight For Life hosts its first semi-annual Customer Service Advisory Board meeting. |
| December 26, 2007 |
The Flight For Life Communication Center officially opens and assumes responsibility for dispatching the Flight For Life aircraft. |
