In June of this year, as Geisinger Life Flight was preparing to celebrate its 45th year of service, our team and community experienced a tremendous loss with the passing of Gerald J. “Jerry” Splitt Jr.
Jerry’s life and career were closely tied to the history, growth, and identity of Life Flight. He began his career at Geisinger as an EMT and later served in the Life Flight communications center before becoming a certified paramedic, registered nurse, flight nurse, chief flight nurse, and ultimately Life Flight program director. For 26 years, he served in that leadership role, guiding the program through decades of change while remaining focused on the mission that mattered most: safely bringing advanced care to patients and families during some of the most critical moments of their lives.
Jerry devoted his entire professional career to Geisinger Life Flight, and his impact on the program is difficult to overstate. Under his leadership and guidance, Life Flight grew from one helicopter base in Danville to six air bases and two ground bases serving communities across northeastern and central Pennsylvania. During that same period, program volumes increased from a few hundred transports each year to more than 4,500 annually. Today, as Life Flight approaches its 100,000th transport, it is impossible to reflect on that milestone without recognizing Jerry’s influence on the majority of those missions and the nearly 100,000 lives touched by the care provided through the program.
Jerry’s leadership was grounded in service, safety, and commitment to doing things the right way. He understood that air medical transport requires not only clinical excellence, but also trust, preparation, teamwork, and an unwavering focus on safety. He helped guide Life Flight through growth in aircraft, bases, staffing, standards, and operational complexity, while keeping the program centered on the patients, crews, and communities it served. Beyond his work at Geisinger, Jerry also supported the air medical industry at a national level, advocating for the profession and helping advance the standards, recognition, and value of critical care transport. Those who worked with him knew him as a steady presence, a thoughtful leader, and someone who carried a deep sense of responsibility for the people and mission entrusted to him.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Jerry was also deeply devoted to life outside of work. He had a passion for farming and operated his own farm with 36 head of cattle. He enjoyed running and completed numerous races, including a full marathon. He was an avid outdoorsman and hunter, finding joy in the land, in hard work, and in time spent outside. Above all, Jerry’s greatest joy was his family and the moments he shared with those he loved. That same devotion, humility, and work ethic that defined him personally were also evident in the way he served Life Flight.
Throughout more than 40 years of service, Jerry committed himself fully to the patients, families, crews, and communities served by Life Flight. He led by example, often quietly and consistently, helping shape the standards and culture of a program that became much larger than any one person. His influence can be seen in the people he mentored, the leaders he developed, the systems he helped build, and the countless missions carried out by teams who continue to uphold the values he championed.
As the Geisinger Life Flight team moves forward, Jerry’s legacy will continue through the mission he served so faithfully and through the people he inspired, supported, and led. His mark will remain part of the program’s story, not only in its growth and accomplishments, but also in the spirit of service carried forward by each crew member, communicator, clinician, pilot, mechanic, leader, and team member who continues the work. May his memory be a blessing to his family, friends, colleagues, and the forever family of Life Flight as they carry his spirit into the next 100,000 patients served.