LIFE FORCE Air Medical Service

Our air medical experience involves a high degree of involvement with LIFE FORCE Air Medical Service. LIFE FORCE is a premier, CAMTS accredited helicopter EMS service with six aircraft covering a broad region centered on Chattanooga, including middle and eastern Tennessee, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, and western North Carolina. They operate three different airframes: EC 145, EC 135, and Bell 407. Dr. Tift is one of their Medical Directors and maintains active flight status with the service, flying a regular shift as front line crew once a week. The fellow will be fully trained as a Flight Physician and is generally expected to complete regular flight shifts throughout the year as a key portion of his/her field clinical experience.

Orientation

As you might imagine, adapting in-hospital skills to working in a helicopter requires some additional training. Fellows complete an abbreviated version of the same orientation as any other flight crew member, specifically the hands-on, in aircraft orientation under the supervision of a preceptor. You will be paired with an experienced flight crew member and follow his/her schedule exactly, working each of their shifts as a third medical crew member aboard the aircraft. Full-time flight crew work a combination of 24 and 12 hour shifts spaced across every other weekend. Responsibility gradually shifts from learning by observation to assisting with care to full crew member status. This process usually takes about 2 months, depending on flight volume and specific flight types experienced.

Following Orientation

After orientation, the Fellow is considered a full fight crew member and is generally expected to complete 4 flight shifts a month, which are scheduled by the Fellow based on shift availability and around your other responsibilities.

Medical Direction

You will also assist Dr. Tift with the medical direction of the service. This portion primarily takes the form of heavy involvement in the QA process, with regular chart review and monthly QA meetings. Clinical guideline review is also performed throughout the year. Finally, assisting with flight crew education is also strongly encouraged when available.

LIFE FORCE base locations