Association of Air Medical Services

11/12/2025

Happy Hump Day, All!

Today, we put our hands together in thunderous applause 👏 for the 2025 AAMS Excellence in Transport Leadership Award winner - Leanne Reaves from UNC Carolina Air Care in Chapel Hill, North Carolina!

Leanne is honored for her visionary leadership and people-centered management as Associate Director of Carolina Air Care. Overseeing nine bases and more than 120 staff, she has embedded just culture, crew resource management, and staff development throughout the organization—resulting in the highest employee engagement scores in over a decade and surpassing national safety culture benchmarks.

Her strategic initiatives include creating educator roles, launching leadership development programs like Extreme Ownership, and mentoring future leaders through Cy Wakeman and MTLI training. Leanne also expanded the service’s capabilities by securing larger airframes for neonatal and ICU-level transports, advancing whole blood and EPOC testing, and improving reimbursement through an out-of-network billing project.

Her impact reaches beyond operations. Leanne coordinated clinical logistics during Hurricane Helene, served at the State Emergency Command Center, and shared insights at the May Day Conference. As Vice President of the North Carolina Air Medical Association, she developed tools to expand access to leadership training and continues to teach high-risk obstetrics, trauma, and EMS topics across the state.

🌟 Leanne’s work exemplifies excellence in transport medicine and her influence continues to shape the future of care across North Carolina and beyond.

11/11/2025

💲 The 2025 Salary Insights Survey Results are here!

Gain valuable compensation benchmarks and workforce trends for the air medical and critical care transport industry. The full report is now available for purchase:

- $195 for AAMS and ACCT members
- $395 for non-members

🔗 Visit aams.org/store to get your copy today and make informed decisions for your team. Programs that participated in the survey will receive their complimentary copy directly from Compensation Resources, the third-party administrator utilized for this survey.

11/11/2025

🎉 Today's CONGRATS go to Erik Thresher of Air Methods in Jacksonville, NC — the 2025 Jim Charlson Safety Award Honoree! Thank you to our award sponsor, Life Flight Network

Erik is recognized for his outstanding contributions to aviation safety and his leadership both within Air Methods and across the industry. With a background in safety and a current role in operational leadership, Erik’s influence extends nationally through his work as Vice Chair of the Air Medical Operators Association (AMOA) Safety Committee.

Among his many initiatives, Erik partnered with another HAA operator to investigate a near-miss event in a major metro area. Their findings were presented at an industry safety conference, promoting cross-organizational learning. He also led a public and internal campaign—culminating in an AMOA-sponsored letter to the FAA and Congress—advocating for safer integration of manned and unmanned aircraft operations.

At Air Methods, Erik modernized the safety reporting system, enabling real-time dashboards and faster risk analysis. He launched a company-wide initiative to improve group-handling safety and reduce aircraft damage events, and partnered with clinical leaders to develop “walkaround safety cards” that help crews identify and mitigate risks during preflight checks.

Erik’s energy, vision, and commitment to safe outcomes continue to shape how safety is practiced and prioritized across the industry.

11/11/2025

Today, we honor all who have served.

11/10/2025

Attention LIFT and MTLI Students...a bit of good news for those of you planning your travel to the 2026 schools via Pittsburgh International Airport. 😎
https://ow.ly/EoyW50XpHrm

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is ready to introduce the next chapter in the region’s rich aviation legacy – this time, with a modernized, state-of-the-art terminal focused on Pittsburgh and its passengers. PIT’s new terminal will officially open to the public on Tuesday, Nov. 18, the ...

11/10/2025

This award is especially close to our hearts at AAMS. 💙 Dr. Gregory Powell—founder of STARS Ambulance in Canada and former AAMS Board Chair—has been posthumously honored with the 2025 Making A Difference Award for his visionary leadership and lifelong dedication to emergency medicine. His wife, Linda, along with members of the STARS team, accepted the award on his behalf in Omaha.

View his awards presentation here: https://youtu.be/iWFU3CEaG7I

In 1985, Dr. Powell launched STARS as a charitable helicopter ambulance service—an unprecedented move that has since saved over 63,000 lives. Under his leadership, STARS expanded from a single base in Calgary to six across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, becoming the first international organization accredited by CAMTS and setting a global standard for helicopter emergency medical services.

Dr. Powell’s legacy extends beyond clinical innovation. He served on numerous boards, mentored medical professionals, and championed public health initiatives. His belief in building a service “by the community, for the community” inspired thousands of volunteers, donors, and healthcare workers to rally behind the cause.

His contributions were recognized nationally with appointments to the Order of Canada, the Alberta Order of Excellence, and induction into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame. Dr. Powell passed away in April 2025, during STARS’ 40th anniversary year. His legacy lives on in every mission flown and every life saved.

Dr. Gregory Powell, an industry legend.

11/09/2025

🙏

11/07/2025

🎉 The Friday feels are strong, and we're riding the wave of celebration straight into the weekend! Join us in giving a huge shoutout to LifeMed Alaska— the 2025 AAMS Community Impact Award Winner! 👏

For nearly seven years, LifeMed Alaska has served as a vital lifeline for the residents of Unalaska and the surrounding Aleutian Islands, bridging an 800-mile gap to definitive care in Anchorage. Operating in one of the most remote and weather-challenged regions of the state, the Dutch Harbor-based flight crews have consistently delivered exceptional prehospital and critical care—day and night, in the air and on the ground.

Their commitment goes far beyond transport. LifeMed teams regularly support local EMS and the Iliuliuk Family & Health Services Clinic, assist with direct patient care when resources are stretched, and help sustain healthcare in the region by loaning and maintaining essential equipment like ventilators and IV pumps. They also provide continuing education and have championed innovative programs such as Alaska’s first prehospital blood initiative and the i-STAT mobile lab program.

LifeMed Alaska’s presence in Unalaska is deeply personal. Their crews actively participate in community events and invest in building strong local partnerships. Their work exemplifies not only clinical excellence but also a profound dedication to the well-being of the people they serve.

Tipping our collective hats!

11/07/2025

👏 Alright, everyone, put your hands together for the INAUGURAL winner of the Eileen Frazer Spark Award, sponsored jointly by AAMS and CAMTS—🌟 Kevin Rixmann, BSN, RN, NRP, CCRN-CSC, CFRN 🌟 from Life Link III in Shoreview, Minnesota!

Kevin is recognized for his visionary leadership and groundbreaking work in expanding access to advanced cardiac care. He played a central role in launching the nation’s first Rural eCPR program, a transformative initiative that brings mobile ECMO capabilities directly to rural communities—dramatically improving survival rates for cardiac arrest patients far from tertiary care centers.

This innovative model, developed in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Hospitals Mobile ECMO program, is both scalable and replicable, offering a blueprint for improving outcomes in underserved areas nationwide. Kevin’s commitment to patient-centered solutions and his ability to challenge the status quo have helped redefine how cardiac care is delivered in rural America.

Beyond his technical achievements, Kevin is a mentor and role model whose passion and clarity of vision continue to inspire colleagues. His work exemplifies the spirit of the Spark Award—igniting change, sparking innovation, and transforming the future of emergency medical services.

BRAVO!

CAMTS - Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems

11/06/2025

Earlier today, the Modern Skies Coalition—which includes AAMS among its members—issued a unified statement calling on Congress to take swift action to end the ongoing government shutdown.

“The aviation community stands united in calling on Congress to end the shutdown without delay. This prolonged shutdown has strained the aviation system and its dedicated workforce to unacceptable levels of stress and disruption.

The American flying public deserves nothing less than a fully operational aviation system. It’s time for Congress to act decisively.”

The coalition’s message underscores the urgent need to restore stability and functionality to the national aviation infrastructure, which millions of Americans rely on every day.

🔗 View the full statement and list of participating aviation stakeholders here: https://ow.ly/l4SE50Xo8pB

11/06/2025

Today's CONGRATULATIONS go out to Dr. Kelli Lund & The University of Utah AirMed Neonatal Team, winners of the 2025 Neonatal/Pediatric Award of Excellence, sponsored by AirBorne Transport Incubators, a Division of International Biomedical.

Dr. Lund and The University of Utah AirMed Neonatal Team are honored for groundbreaking work integrating the the neonatal flight team and the TeleNICU virtual program at the University of Utah. The innovative integration of these two specialties has created a rapid-response model that delivers expert neonatal care to rural communities—bridging critical gaps in access and improving outcomes for high-acuity cases like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and full codes.

Through a HIPAA-compliant virtual conference room, the AirMed Neonatal Team provides real-time visual assessments and guidance, ensuring informed decision-making even across long distances. Dr. Lund also leads hands-on, evidence-based training at the level 3 NICU, empowering affiliate nurses to bring best practices back to their facilities.

Dr. Lund and The University of Utah AirMed Neonatal Team have revolutionized neonatal transport and care, building a scalable model that elevates healthcare standards across the region. Their work represents an outstanding contribution to the field and a powerful example of innovation in action.

11/05/2025

MTLI26: Leadership development, strategic management, and operational excellence await you!

🔥 Register for MTLI taking place Apr 19-24 at Oglebay and take your leadership skills to the next level.

🔗 Visit MTLI online to learn more or register : https://aams.org/mtli