Forged Through Service, United by Purpose
In 2025, Duke Life Flight proudly celebrated its 40th anniversary, marking four decades of innovation, clinical excellence, and an unwavering commitment to delivering critical care when it matters most.
Founded in 1985 as North Carolina’s first hospital-based helicopter transport program, Duke Life Flight began with a single aircraft and a bold vision: bringing advanced critical care to patients regardless of where they were. Forty years later, that vision has evolved into a comprehensive transport medicine program serving patients across North Carolina and the Southeast.
Today, Duke Life Flight supports Duke Health’s four hospitals, Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, and Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital, while also partnering with rural and regional healthcare facilities to help transport patients in need of specialized tertiary and quaternary care. Through close collaboration among Patient Flow, the Transfer Center, and the Life Flight Communications Center, with combined call volumes of greater than 10,000 monthly, the focus remains on one thing: ensuring patients receive the right care at the right time.
What started as a single helicopter operation has grown into a multifaceted critical care transport system that includes rotor-wing aircraft, ground ambulances, specialized response teams and fixed wing capabilities. Duke Life Flight has more than 100 dedicated team members. Including neonatal and pediatric transport services, emergency patient response teams within Duke University Medical Center, and medical support for Duke Athletics and special events throughout the Duke community.
The program’s impact continues to grow. In fiscal year 2026 alone, Duke Life Flight completed more than 6,200 missions, transporting critically ill and injured patients requiring highly specialized care, including trauma services, stroke intervention, cardiac support, ECMO transport, neonatal and pediatric care, ventilator management, and other advanced therapies.
A cornerstone of Duke Life Flight’s success has been its commitment to excellence. Since earning its first Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) accreditation in 2000, the program has continuously maintained accreditation through rigorous standards, ongoing education, and a culture of continuous improvement. Team members receive advanced training across multiple specialty areas to ensure the highest level of care for every patient, every day.
Beyond transportation, Duke Life Flight plays an essential role in strengthening emergency preparedness across the region through partnerships with EMS agencies, public education initiatives, rural outreach programs, code team response throughout the Duke Health campus, and event medicine coverage.
As Duke Life Flight enters its fifth decade of service, the program remains dedicated to advancing critical care transport while honoring the mission that has guided it since 1985: delivering safe, timely, and expert care to patients and families when every second counts.
Forty years strong, Duke Life Flight’s legacy continues to be defined by compassion, innovation, teamwork, and an enduring commitment to excellence. While we celebrate the achievements of the past four decades, we do so with deep gratitude and remembrance for those who helped shape this program and are no longer by our side. Their courage, dedication, and spirit continue to inspire us. As we enter our fifth decade of service, we remain committed to carrying their legacy forward, honoring them through our actions, our care, and our unwavering devotion to the patients and communities we serve. We serve in their memory, we lead through their example, and we work each day to be worthy of the path they forged before us.
Written by: Anna Sapp, RN, BSN, CCRN, C-NPT and Christina Shelton, RN, BSN, CFRN, CCRN, CEN, NRP
Duke Life Flight Critical Care Transport Team: Durham, North Carolina