On Nov. 7, 2025, Life Flight Network began providing emergency air medical care on Hawaii Island. Just three months later, our teams have already had the privilege of caring for and transporting more than 140 patients in need.

So, how did we get here?

Our journey to this island began earlier that year, when the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation approached us about bringing our lifesaving services to Hawaii Island. Led by Dr. Frank Sayre and Laura Mallery-Sayre, the foundation helped fund a new Airbus H145 helicopter and sought a not-for-profit air medical organization to operate it. We were honored to be asked.

In preparing to come to Hawaii, we spent a lot of time listening to local community members, stakeholders and leaders. As we listened, it became clear that one aircraft alone wouldn’t meet the community’s needs. So, we committed to establishing three bases: Kona and Hilo, which opened in November 2025, and Waimea, planned for later this year. This commitment will expand access to lifesaving medical care and emergency transport when it matters most.

At its core, access comes down to capacity — having the resources in place to respond quickly and get people the care they need and deserve. That’s why we’re committed to working with the community to strengthen local health care capacity, expand access to care, and ultimately bring more hope to families across the island.

So, who are we? While Life Flight Network may be new to Hawaii Island, our work in emergency air medical operations spans nearly five decades. Founded in 1978 in Portland, Oregon, we were built around a single mission: saving lives by connecting patients with definitive health care.

Nearly 50 years later, that mission continues. Today, we serve more than 15 million people across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and now Hawaii, safely transporting more than 15,000 patients each year. As a not-for-profit, our focus remains where it belongs — on patients and communities — reinvesting resources into care, safety and long-term service.

That patient focus isn’t just a guiding principle. It drives every flight.

In a time-sensitive emergency, like a heart attack, stroke or traumatic injury, every minute without intervention can mean a poorer outcome, a longer recovery, or even loss of life. Rapid medical care matters.

That’s where Life Flight Network comes in. We bring the intensive care unit to the patient with state-of-the-art, medically configured aircraft staffed by highly trained flight nurses, flight paramedics, and pilots — delivering advanced care while rapidly transporting patients to definitive treatment.

But safe, effective transport takes more than just the crew you see stepping on the aircraft. Behind every flight is an entire team working in sync: communication specialists coordinating with hospitals and first responders while monitoring each mission from dispatch to completion; operational control specialists ensuring every flight can be conducted safely before launch and throughout the journey; aviation maintenance technicians keeping our aircraft flight-ready; biomedical teams maintaining the ICU-level medical equipment on board; and many others working behind the scenes to ensure we’re ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

Life Flight Network’s commitment to Hawaii Island isn’t just words or promises. With more than $37 million invested in aircraft, equipment, employees and facilities to date, we’re putting substantial resources behind our commitment to serve Hawaii for the long term.

Health care challenges in Hawaii won’t be solved overnight, but progress starts with real solutions and commitment. We’re proud to be part of the solution, working alongside local hospitals, EMS and community partners to strengthen the health care safety net every patient deserves.