UW Health Med Flight’s experienced medical teams are ready for any emergency 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each day, we transport and care for critically ill and injured patients of all ages throughout the region.
Med Flight is unique in the U.S. Since its establishment in 1985, we have utilized a physician-nurse-pilot staffing model. While common in other parts of the world, this physician-based staffing model is highly unusual in North America and used by only the most highly capable programs.
Our team has served the area for over 40 years. We log more than 2,300 transports per year. Our team includes highly trained doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists who specialize in emergency medicine. We are the only program in the country to fly with an attending physician routinely on board.
We transport patients supported by ECMO, intra-aortic balloon pumps, ventricular assist devices, inhaled nitric, active cooling or an isolette. For patients with traumatic injuries, we carry more blood products than most transport programs in the world (8 units) and an advanced procedures kit.
Our helicopters have enhanced flight and safety features. Each carries advanced medical equipment and emergency medications. We focus on helping you get the best possible medical care quickly and safely, and on stabilizing patients while being transported to get the care they need at a hospital or facility that best meets the patient’s needs.
Our critical care ambulances transport patients of any age. We can bring specialized care teams, and essentially the resources of a mobile ICU to patients and safely transport them to a hospital or higher or level of care that best suits the patient’s needs. This includes newborns who need care in a NICU until they are strong enough for lifesaving surgery or a procedure. We take great pride in partnering with many hospitals in the region.
Serving Wisconsin and surrounding states
Our EC-145 helicopters and two critical care ambulances are used for patient transport. They operate from bases in Madison, Mineral Point, Portage and Janesville. We serve people throughout Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
We partner with leading FAA-certified and industry-accredited Metro Aviation, Inc. to maintain, operate and pilot Med Flight aircraft. Our helicopters can land on roads, fields and other areas deemed safe so that we can quickly help trauma victims at the scene. Our team also transports patients who need more specialized care from one hospital to another and assists with interfacility transplant services. In both emergency and planned transports, we bring the advanced equipment and resources of a highly skilled team directly to the patient.
Safety is and has always been a priority for us. We are one of the few programs in the country to fly with twin-engine aircraft (Airbus EC-145 helicopters), helicopter terrain avoidance warnings systems (HTAWS), night vision goggles, as well as full-time Instrument Flight Rule (IFR) capability. Our pilots are highly trained and experienced to fly IFR, and collectively, they have several thousands of hours of flight experience, far above the average program in the United States HEMS industry.
A top-flight team takes emergency care to new heights
The Med Flight team is a tightly knit group of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other critical care specialists who work alongside highly skilled pilots and dispatchers. Whether responding by air or ground, they share one mission: to deliver the highest level of emergency care when every second counts.
Many UW emergency physicians choose to fly with Med Flight, both for the professional fulfillment it brings and to keep their critical care and procedural skills sharp. They work in close partnership with flight nurses whose deep critical care experience makes them an essential part of every mission. Together, they embody teamwork under pressure — and compassion in motion.
Our physicians are recognized leaders in helicopter EMS, serving in national and international roles such as president of the Air Medical Physicians Association and consultant to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Advisory Committee on Aeromedical Transport Billing. UW faculty also instruct at the U.K.’s renowned Anaesthesia Trauma & Critical Care (ATACC) course, conduct research advancing the science of prehospital medicine, and have flown with the world-leading London Air Ambulance service.
To stay mission-ready, Med Flight crew members also train with UW Athletics’ Sports Medicine team at UW Health’s Tactical Athlete Specialty Clinic — ensuring they have the physical strength, endurance, and resilience required to serve as first responders in the most demanding conditions.
Med Flight Leadership
Physician education & training
EMS Education for Physicians
Educating the next generation of EMS leaders is central to our mission. We create early, hands-on learning experiences that build physician leadership skills and foster trust and collaboration with first responders.
Fellowship in Retrieval & Critical Care Transport Medicine
Our fellowship prepares physicians to become effective helicopter EMS (HEMS) medical directors by combining hands-on flight experience with academic, administrative, and research training.
