Team Components

  • Critical Care Paramedics
  • Critical Care Nurses
  • Registered Respiratory Therapists
  • Supervisor, Operations Support
  • Senior Operations Flight Crew (SOFC)
  • Clinical Leaders (adult and children’s services)
  • Manager of Professional Development, Quality & Risk
  • Program Manager
  • Program Administrator
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Pilots: Helicopter and Fixed Wing
  • Aircraft Engineers: Helicopter and Fixed Wing
  • Air Medical Transport Communication Officers
  • Medical Control Physicians
  • Medical Director

Medical Director

  • Overall responsible for quality medical care of the program
  • Development of treatment protocols
  • Participation in research, education, medical administration and strategic management of the program
  • Quality of MCP’s

Medical Control Physicians

Medical Control Physicians provide online support for the EHS LifeFlight Air Medical Critical Care Teams, sending physicians and pre-hospital providers. Additionally, they are responsible for:

  • Receiving requests for air medical transfers
  • Provide medical advice to sending sites
  • Make medical decisions on whether a request is a “go”
  • Play an active role in forming alternate plans if the team is unable to fly
  • Participate in triage decisions based on patient need and ground ambulance operations “system status”
  • Assume medical responsibility for the patient at the time when they are formally handed over to the Air Medical Crew
  • Provide medical support to Critical Care Teams en-route and participate in mission reviews

Medical control physicians are trained:

  • Emergency Physicians
  • Pediatric Intensivists
  • Neonatologists
  • Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists

Medical Team Configuration

On base 24/7 – Adult Services Team

  • Adult Critical Care Paramedic
  • Adult Critical Care RN

On-call 24/7 at IWK Health Centre – Children’s Services Team

  • Neonatal/Pediatric Critical Care RN
  • Neonatal/Pediatric RRT
  • Obstetric RN

Critical Care RN

The Critical Care Nurse is accountable for providing clinical care to patients within an aviation and ground transport environment.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: direct patient care, documentation, incorporating advanced assessment, stabilization and
intervention skills working under standards and protocols approved by the EHS LifeFlight Medical Director(s).

The CCRN is expected to execute independent critical thinking skills in order to deliver appropriate care that is consistent with the nurse’s
scope of practice and delegated medical functions and to work well in a team with direct medical oversight.

Continuing education is essential to the competency of the Critical Care Teams (CCT). Lecture education, clinical skill exposure, advanced airway training, self directed learning packages and maintenance of the delegated medical functions are just some of the annual requirements for CCT.

Critical Care Paramedic

The Critical Care Paramedic is accountable for providing clinical care to patients within an aviation and ground transport environment.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: direct patient care, incorporating advanced assessment, stabilization and intervention skills working under standards and protocols approved by the EHS LifeFlight Medical Director(s).

The CCP is expected to execute independent critical thinking skills in order to deliver appropriate care that is consistent with the
paramedic’s scope of practice and delegated medical acts and to work well in a team with direct medical oversight.

Continuing education is essential to the competency of the Critical Care Team (CCT). Lecture education, clinical skill exposure, advanced airway training, self directed learning packages and maintenance of the delegated medical functions are just some of the annual requirements for CCT.

Registered Respiratory Therapist

Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRT) are highly skilled health care professionals. They care for patients alongside flight nurses
by evaluating, treating and maintaining cardiopulmonary function.

RRT’s have specialized medical expertise and use advanced medical technologies to care for neonatal, pediatric and high risk obstetrical
patients in the critical care transport setting.

Air Medical Transport Communications Officer

Air Medical Transport Communications Officer (AMTCO) is a specially trained paramedic that works in the EHS Medical Communications Centre and is responsible for all EHS LifeFlight dispatch related activities.