Maine Air Ambulance Staffing Push

LifeFlight of Maine is testing a new model for retaining medical staff in the air ambulance industry. The company, based in Bangor, has aligned paramedic salaries with those of flight nurses and employed a dedicated mental health counselor. These measures aim to solve a retention crisis that has plagued rural emergency medical services nationwide.

The pressure on these services has intensified as rural healthcare infrastructure shrinks. Since 2015, demand for medical flights in Maine has doubled. In 2025, LifeFlight crews completed 3,031 flights, averaging more than one every three hours. Demand is projected to rise another 10 percent this year. This growth coincides with the closure of rural hospitals and the conversion of others to outpatient-only facilities. Ground ambulance stations are also struggling, leaving air medical teams to transport more interfacility patients.

Nicholas George, who runs the ETHOS Database for air medical programs, noted that the need for air services is increasing year over year. In Maine, the fragmentation of the ground system has led to gaps in care. Last year, a patient in a small northern town died while dispatchers called ten different ambulance services with no response.

LifeFlight of Maine has historically struggled to keep its workforce stable. For years, the company retained only 60 to 70 percent of its employees. CEO Joe Kellner, a former paramedic who took the role in 2023, identified recruitment and retention as the primary challenges. He implemented the Critical Care Academy, a six to eight month orientation program designed to train new staff and reduce burnout.

The training involves rigorous simulations. Instructors in a control room monitor clinicians as they treat mannequins in simulated hospital rooms. Participants practice procedures such as intubation and emergency airway management. The academy also includes a mentorship program for prospective applicants. Last year, LifeFlight hired one of its mentees, marking a success for the pipeline.

Compensation changes are central to the strategy. Industrywide, paramedics typically earn less than nurses to control costs. Kellner raised paramedic pay to match flight nurse compensation. He believes this equity has aided recruitment. Additionally, the company hired a full-time mental health counselor to address the high rates of stress, anxiety, and depression among EMS workers.

Paramedic Brian Merklin joined LifeFlight after leaving a Nevada service during the pandemic. He described the previous workload as intense, with crews working 96-hour shifts. About a third of his former colleagues quit. Merklin said the peer support team at LifeFlight offers practical help that other employers lack. He noted that many services pay lip service to mental health costs without providing resources.

The current flight schedule reflects the heavy load. On a recent trip, a helicopter from Bangor landed on a community hospital rooftop. Flight nurse Denise Saucier and Merklin attended to a patient who needed transfer to a trauma center. Such interfacility transports are the majority of their work, as scene calls from accidents account for less than 10 percent of flights.

Kellner argues that the cost of training a new employee is approximately $100,000. Keeping two or three staff members through counseling and better pay saves that expense. As Medicaid cuts take effect, more rural hospitals face closure. Highly trained EMS workers are becoming the primary link between patients in remote areas and specialized care.