Our Team
The Pilots
Our four pilots come to Life Flight with a wide variety of experiences in the civilian world and the military (Army and Coast Guard). All have in excess of the 3000 hours required at Stanford, an ATP and instrument ratings.
The capability of operating our EC 145 "IFR" has proved to be a valued asset in operating near the Pacific Ocean and it's frequent marine layer conditions. Each pilot is checked every six months in emergencies and instrument landings.
Flight Nurses
The Life Flight team is skilled in caring for and transporting the most critically ill patients. Flight nurses function with a high level of autonomy and clinical nursing expertise, transporting high acuity populations such as patients on intra-aortic balloon pumps. Their expanded scope of practice includes: Rapid sequence induction intubation, surgical cricothyrotomy, escharotomy, arterial line insertions, femoral line placement, needle chest decompression and pericardiocentesis.
Our highly skilled nurses train regularly to maintain expertise in all areas of intensive care nursing and to maintain their advanced skills:
- Flight nurses regularly rotate through the adult, pediatric, and neonatal ICU's, and also through the ED and L&D.
- Life Flight nurses must also attend 2 human cadaver labs per year to maintain proficiency in their advanced procedure skills.
- Each quarter they spend hours in the OR's working under the guidance of anesthesiologist to maintain proficiency in their airway skills.
See Life Flight Transport Nurses
Transfer Center Nurses 
Transfer Center Nurses have a broad knowledge base in the medical field which allows them to work in conjunction with the communication specialists to provide seamless transfer for patients which includes obtaining clinical information, communicating with the Administrative Nursing Supervisors to obtain an appropriate bed placement and streamlining communication with Stanford physicians. See Transfer Center and visit the Transfer Center page.
Communication's Specialists
All our Communication's Specialists come to us with a broad knowledge of medical terminology and most are EMT certified. Many have been employed previously as dispatchers in former positions.
Communication's Specialists go through many hours of training at Stanford Life Flight, and when fully operational, take on many tasks to include, activation of the Life Flight helicopter on scene calls and interfacility flights; act as a flight following safety net for the aircraft to the termination of the flight; coordinating ground transports, as well as international transfers; helping to determine best mode of transport; handle adult transfers to tertiary facilities; are directly involved with high risk OB, neonatal and pediatric transfers to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The communications specialists are true to their names. They ensure timely, successful and expert management of necessary information.
They can be your one point of contact for efficient transfer to Stanford.
The Mechanics
Life Flight Mechanics come to us with a high degree of experience, to include, the manufacturer's schools on the EC 145 and its engine.