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Airlift Northwest, a program of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Harborview Medical Center, provides flight transport via helicopter and fixed wing aircraft for patients needing intensive medical care in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

History
Airlift Northwest was founded in 1982 after three children perished following a Sitka, Alaska house fire because there was no way to rapidly transport them to a facility capable of treating their injuries. The University of Washington's Dr. Michael Copass was the driving force behind the service which started with one Seattle-based fixed wing aircraft and a medical crew of one physician and one nurse. It was the first critical care air ambulance service in the region.

Airlift Northwest's admirable safety record has been marred only three times. One of the organization's helicopters crashed into Puget Sound on September 11, 1995 while enroute to Bainbridge Island to pick-up a woman in labor. The flight's two nurses and one pilot were killed in the incident. The pilot and sole occupant of an Airlift Northwest helicopter sustained serious injuries in a crash near Granite Falls in 2002. In 2005, another Airlift Northwest helicopter crashed into the waters off of Edmonds on the evening of September 28; all occupants (a pilot and two nurses) were killed.

Airlift Northwest crews played key roles in the response to the 2014 Oso mudslide, transporting 5 injured survivors to area hopsitals.

Operations
Airlift Northwest operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and flies approximately 3,200 patients annually from four bases in Washington State (Bellingham, Seattle, Olympia and Arlington) and one in Juneau, Alaska... The non-profit agency is entirely self-funded with a $40 million annual budget. Airlift Northwest estimates that it provides about $7.5 million in uncompensated charity care every year.>

Crew
Airlift Northwest's pilots and aircraft are supplied trained and maintained by two outside contractors: Air Medical Corporation and Aero Air. Approximately 70 medical personnel, employees of the University of Washington, provide care aboard flights. Medical crews are trained in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, trauma nursing core course, neonatal resuscitation and Emergency Medical Technician. .