Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s LifeFlight® Critical Care Transport Program has received the Neonatal and Pediatric Transport Award of Excellence by the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS). The Award of Excellence is one of the most distinguished awards presented in the field of specialty air medical services and is sponsored by Airborne Life Support Systems Transport Incubators, a Division of International Biomedical Ltd. It recognizes significant contributions to the overall enhancement of neonatal/pediatric transport patient care.
Nicklaus Children’s LifeFlight® program provides around-the-clock transport to more than 3,000 infants and children per year to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s renowned critical care services. The team consists of a multidisciplinary group of highly skilled RNs, paramedics, EMTs (emergency medical technicians), communications specialists, and pilots.
The fleet consists of six ground ambulances, specially equipped to provide critical care or advanced life-saving support for pediatric neonatal patients, a hospital-owned Sikorsky® S76 C+ helicopter medically equipped to care for pediatric and neonatal patients, and fixed wing jets contracted on demand for long-distance transports.*
“We are honored to be recognized as one of the top transport programs in the nation. This award represents the entire team’s passion and dedication to providing the best care possible to some of the most critically-ill children in the region,” said Armando Llechu, Vice President of Clinical Operations at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
The LifeFlight® helicopter is the state’s only dual pilot/dual engine Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) - rated helicopter transport program. All aircraft are equipped with night vision goggles to maximize safety. LifeFlight® is the only service in Florida capable of providing ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy) via ground, helicopter and fixed-wing during transport and offers interventions not provided by the majority of transport programs, including active whole body hypothermia therapy, bili lights, high frequency ventilation, nitric oxide delivery and video telemetry.
*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.
About Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Where Children Matter Most ™ (2024)
Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children. With more than 850 physicians, including over 500 pediatric subspecialists, the hospital and its network of outpatient centers and offices serve close to 70% of children in the Miami market. The only hospital "where your child matters most™,” Nicklaus Children's is home to the region's most advanced Kenneth C. Griffin Surgical Tower, and its centers of excellence Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedics, Sports Health and Spine Institute, Nicklaus Children’s Brain Institute and Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute. The Nicklaus Children's Hospital's Transfer Center, Nick4Kids, and LifeFlight are responsible for transporting and saving close to 5,000 lives a year. Our 307-bed hospital, which is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, has many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children's is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.