Overview

Air and ground critical care transport

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.

Our team has served the area for more than 35 years. We log more than 1,500 transports a year. Our team includes highly trained doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists who specialize in emergency medicine. We are one of just a few programs in the country to fly with a physician or specialty care provider 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 .

NOTICE

The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems will conduct an accreditation site visit of UW Health Med Flight in December 14 and 15, 2023.

The purpose of the site visit will be to evaluate the program’s compliance with nationally established medical transport standards. The site visit results will be used to determine whether, and the conditions under which accreditation should be awarded to the program.

CAMTS accreditation standards deal with issues of patient care and safety of the transport environment. Anyone believing that he or she has pertinent or valid information about such matters may request a public information interview with the CAMTS site surveyors at the time of the site visit. Information presented at the interview will be carefully evaluated for relevance to the accreditation process. Requests for public information interviews must be made in writing and sent to CAMTS no later than 10 business days before the site survey begins. The request should also indicate the nature of the information to be provided during the interview. Such request should be addressed to:

Office of the Executive Director
Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems
PO Box 130
Sandy Springs, SC 29677

The Commission will acknowledge such written requests in writing or by telephone and will inform the program of the request for an interview. The Commission will, in turn, notify the interviewee of the date, time and place of the meeting.

This notice is posted in accordance with CAMTS requirements and shall not be removed until the site visit is completed.

Date Posted: 11/22/2023

Learn about our Med Flight ambulance
Take a look inside our Med Flight helicopter

Learn more about Med Flight

Our Med Flight crew is happy to help others learn about our services. Request a Med Flight appearance or presentation about our ground and air services for your team.

UW Health's Med Flight program is proud to be partners in emergency critical care and transport with fire and EMS programs and surrounding hospitals in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota.

Please review the descriptions below and complete an online request form. UW Med Flight staff will follow up within two weeks to confirm whether we can accommodate your request. At that point, we might need to gather additional information.

Med Flight staff provides training in setting up and securing a landing zone, preparing patients for transport, review of specific cases or types of patients, or topics of interest to your program. If you are requesting on behalf of an EMS program or fire service, complete this form.

Request form

Med Flight staff provides training in safety around the helicopter, preparing a specific type of patient for transport, as well as best practices for optimal patient outcomes. Or, if your facility is holding a specific event and you would like Med Flight to attend, complete this form.

Request form

Med Flight participates in community festivals and events in a variety of types and sizes. To request a Med Flight visit, complete this form.

Request form

For professionals

Information for physicians and fire/EMS professionals

A CAMTS-accredited program, we’re proud to partner with doctors and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel to help patients receive emergency transport.

Referring providers requesting emergency transport

Providers seeking emergency ground or air transport for their patients should contact our Access Center. Access Center staff can make immediate connections with Med Flight for rapid transport. They can also connect you with a specialist for consultation.

To request transport for an adult, child or neonate, call 1-800-472-0111.

Fire and EMS professionals

Med Flight staff work closely with first responders to bring a doctor and nurse to the scene, and assist or care for patients.

EMS providers can quickly request Med Flight through our app. To download, search for Metro Alert and download Med Flight-UW Health, Wisconsin.

These resources might be helpful to fire and emergency medical services personnel:

Educational opportunities

Without exception, safety is UW Med Flight's No. 1 priority. The UW Med Flight program has long been recognized in air medical circles for its success in providing one of the safest air medical transport services in the country.

Every component of the program puts the safety of its patients, crews and workers at the very forefront. This successful track record is also a testament to the focus of EMS on not only preparing a safe landing zone, but operating around the aircraft in a safe manner.

Here are key components to remember when operating around the aircrafts rotors:

  • When the aircraft is approaching, be aware of debris that may become airborne due to the powerful downwash of air from its rotors. Stones, dirt and any debris in the area can become a hazard, and it is recommended to stand at a safe distance and not within the landing zone perimeter.

  • When the aircraft has landed, do not approach the aircraft until you see the pilot gesture to you that it is safe to approach. This will be when the blades have come to a complete stop.

  • It is very important to be conscious of the rotors, even when they are no longer rotating. This includes operating vehicles or equipment in close proximity. Even minor contact with a rotor blade can result in damage that can render the aircraft unsafe to fly by UW Med Flight standards.

  • All traffic should be blocked whenever the aircraft's engine or rotors are in operation.

With these simple safety tips, we can ensure that all members of our team remain safe. If you would like more information on landing zone safety, please call the UW Med Flight program at (608) 263-3258.

Patient follow-up

To follow up on a patient transported on UW Med Flight, please complete the UW Health EMS Quality Assurance Follow-Up form. We will provide information to EMS service’s training officer within five business days.

Your feedback matters

If you have used our services for a recent transport, please complete our Med Flight Transport Feedback survey.

Meet our team

A top-flight team takes emergency care to new heights

A committed team makes our Med Flight transport team possible.

The team includes doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, specialty care providers, pilots and dispatchers. Whether transporting by air or ground, they join forces to help you receive the highest level of emergency care.

Join our team

If you're interested in joining our team, watch a brief video to learn about the physical requirements for our crews. Med Flight physical ability test

Our providers

Locations

Serving Wisconsin and surrounding states

Our Med Flight team includes physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists and specialist providers with critical care training. Our EC145 helicopters and two critical care ambulances are used for patient transport. They operate from bases in Madison, Mineral Point and Portage. We serve people throughout Wisconsin, as well as parts of Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.

We assist first responders in emergency situations. 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. In both emergency and planned transports, we bring the advanced equipment and resources of a highly skilled team directly to the patient.

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