NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Vanderbilt University LifeFlight program marked its 40th anniversary last week.
The team of 450, equipped with 9 helicopters, 32 ambulances and an airplane, respond to traumas and emergencies across Middle Tennessee. We went to the roof where it all happens in the player above!
They not only transport you to a hospital quickly but also provide necessary care on the route.
"I was a serious trauma patient at one point in my life, and I remember a lot about it and how one person can make it a little better," said chief flight nurse Joe Cobble.
"[LifeFlight was] definitely a big part of getting me to Vanderbilt ASAP," said former patient Katlyn Hunsinger, who was in a car accident and airlifted by the team in 2014. "Because of people like them, I'm now 10 years later, a mom of 3 and I work at a childcare and I get to help other people."
The program began in 1984. Kathy Ogle was one of the first nurses on an official flight.
"We had 3 pilots, we had 1 mechanic, and 3 dispatchers on our team, that's where the whole thing started," she remembered. "We were organized, we were dedicated...I'm glad to see they now have paramedics!"
To date, Vanderbilt says they have done at least 80,000 flight transports and around 40,000 ground transports (over 4,000 in critical care).
"Just the work they do and how quick they are and the way they're able to handle such high-emotion situations where there's so much on the line is just so incredible to me," said Hunsinger.
Thursday night, past and current team members of LifeFlight will gather at the Grand Ole Opry to celebrate the anniversary and all that's been accomplished.
There are a lot of great schools in our area. Congratulations to four schools in the mid-state that were awarded National Blue Ribbons for Academic Execellence. The were among six in Tennessee to receive that honor. They were among 356 schools across the United States to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education!
-Lelan Statom
