LifeFlight® Mission and Vision
Mission
To be a vital step in a child's journey to lifelong health, through the provision of safe, compassionate, individualized, high quality neonatal and pediatric specialized transport services.
Vision
To be the leader in neonatal and pediatric specialty care transport throughout Florida and beyond. This vision will be fulfilled through commitment to specialized training and education, medical transport accreditation and recognition, state of the art equipment, and demonstrating the highest level of integrity in the care and transport of neonatal and pediatric patients.
Transport Available Around the Clock
Nicklaus Children’s LifeFlight® transport team, based in Miami, Florida, offers specialized advanced life support and critical care transport for pediatric patients via ground and air ambulance. Operating 24/7, 365 days a year, the service covers South Florida, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
LifeFlight® is a transport service that conducts inter-facility transport of patients to intensive care units, emergency departments, and medical surgical units.
Pediatric and Neonatal Critical Transports
LifeFlight® transports patients representing a broad range of ages, including:
- neonatal patients (birth to 28 days; preterm through term)
- infants (29 days to 1 year)
- pediatric patients (age 1 through 17 years)
Critical Care Life Support Systems
The LifeFlight® program safely transports more 4,000 infants and children per year to Nicklaus Children's Hospital. Patients come from local clinics and hospitals as well as from referring centers throughout Florida, the Caribbean, and South and Central America.
LifeFlight® carries some of the most advanced life-support systems such as:
- neonatal and pediatric ventilators
- defibrillators
- intubation equipment
- cardio-respiratory and hemodynamic monitors
- infusion devices
- whole-body hypothermia capabilities
- transport phototherapy capabilities
- transcutaneous Pa02 monitors
- emergency medications
- transport incubators and other equipment necessary for IV therapy
- cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
- care of the critical patient at altitude by a team comprised of critical care transport ECLS
About the LifeFlight® Team
The LifeFlight® transport team is comprised of multidisciplinary medical professionals and includes registered nurses, paramedics and emergency medical technicians in a variety of transport roles, including but not limited to critical care, advanced life support, and specialty care transport.
The LifeFlight® transport team works in collaboration with the Nicklaus Children’s Transfer Center who serves as a single-point-of-contact resource to ensure the safe and timely transfer of children from hospitals, healthcare systems, emergency departments, urgent care centers, and physician offices. All clinical team members hold a national certification in their respective disciplines, with many team members holding transport-specific certifications. The LifeFlight® communication center is staffed by communications specialists who are also nationally certified flight communicators.
About the Fleet
The LifeFlight® fleet includes:
- Five hospital-owned ground ambulances that are specially equipped to provide critical care or advanced life-saving support for patients.
- A hospital-owned AW139 helicopter, operated by Air Methods, LLC, and an EC145 helicopter, owned and operated by Air Methods, LLC, are both fully equipped to provide care for patients of all acuity levels and ages.*
- Fixed-wing airplanes contracted through outside carriers.*
*Nicklaus Children's Hospital is not a direct air carrier. Aircraft, both helicopters and fixed wing, are operated pursuant to contract with Nicklaus Children's by companies that are FAA certified. Licenses for all associated transport craft (ground and air) can be found at Florida Department of Health site.