Since 1989, Aeromed has extended Tampa General Hospital’s world-class critical care capabilities directly into the field, ensuring our lifesaving expertise reaches patients in need wherever they may be. What began as a single aircraft responding to emergencies has grown into a comprehensive air ambulance and interfacility transport service, bringing high-level medical care to patients throughout Florida 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Aeromed completes thousands of specialty transport missions each year, delivering advanced, life-supporting care to patients with complex medical needs in communities large and small across our state. In 2024, our teams completed 1,872 air transports and 3,969 ground transports. In 2025, those totals rose to 1,900 air missions and 4,260 ground missions, reflecting the growing regional need for expert critical intervention. All told, Aeromed has completed an estimated 50,000 helicopter transports—along with more than 8,500 ground transports since the ground division launched in 2023—connecting patients to the right level of care when it matters most.
Our Mission and Values
Aeromed’s mission is to provide safe, innovative and exceptional air and ground medical transport services for residents and visitors of Florida. Guided by a vision to lead the industry through clinical excellence, continuing education, community service and strong partnerships, our program upholds TGH’s core values of safety, integrity, compassion, accountability, excellence and courage during every mission.
Our commitment extends to patients with specialized and complex medical needs, including neonatal and pediatric populations as well as adults requiring advanced care during transport. Aeromed crews support some of the most advanced air and ground transport capabilities in the region, bringing hospital-level expertise wherever it is needed, whether on the roadside, at another hospital’s bedside, in a remote area or at the scene of a life-threatening medical emergency.
*Air transport services provided by Metro Aviation, Inc.
Our Capabilities, Patient Populations and Special Initiatives
Aeromed delivers a full spectrum of critical care transport services by air and ground, ensuring patients receive consistent, hospital-level care from the first point of contact to arrival at TGH or another appropriate receiving facility. Available around the clock, our teams are equipped to manage advanced and complex medical conditions that typically require continuous monitoring and expert clinical oversight.
Our Ground Transport Services
In addition to basic life support (BLS) for stable patients who require medical supervision during interfacility transfers, we also provide advanced life support (ALS) for those who need ongoing, high-level monitoring and intervention.
Our specialized ground transport services include:
- Advanced airway management – Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) with direct or video laryngoscopy
- Full mechanical ventilation – For patients who cannot breathe adequately on their own
- Heated high-flow nasal cannula – Warmed, humidified oxygen delivered at a high flow rate to patients who are struggling to breathe (Aeromed is the only ground unit in the region offering this capability)
- Invasive line monitoring – Ongoing monitoring of blood pressure and other key hemodynamic measures using an arterial line, Swan-Ganz catheter, central venous line or intracranial pressure device
- Neonatal support – Protected transport of high-risk infants using a climate-controlled newborn incubator with assistance from the TGH NICU team
- Whole blood transfusion – Rapid blood volume replacement and clotting support for trauma patients
Our Air Transport Services
Aeromed’s air ambulance program provides rapid aeromedical transport for critically ill and injured patients, including those requiring advanced cardiac, neurological or mechanical circulatory support. Our aircraft are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and staffed by experienced paramedics and flight nurses who are trained to deliver intensive, hospital-grade care in the air.
Our key air transport capabilities include:
- Advanced airway management – RSI, video laryngoscopy and surgical cricothyrotomy
- Arrhythmia and heart failure support – For patients utilizing a temporary pacemaker to manage the heart’s electrical rhythms or a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to assist with circulation
- Arterial line insertion – Real-time blood pressure monitoring and blood sampling
- ECMO support – For patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to temporarily provide artificial heart and lung function
- Finger thoracostomy and tube thoracostomy – Emergency procedures to relieve dangerous chest pressure caused by a collapsed lung or trapped air
- Intra-aortic balloon pump support – For patients utilizing an IABP to improve circulation and decrease cardiac workload
- Invasive line monitoring – Continuous assessment of blood pressure and other hemodynamic indicators through an arterial line, Swan-Ganz catheter, central venous access or intracranial pressure monitoring
- Neonatal support – Temperature-controlled incubator transport for medically fragile infants in partnership with the TGH NICU team
- K9 officer support – Emergency care and transport of working dogs injured in the line of duty
- Respiratory failure support – Full mechanical ventilation, including airway pressure release ventilation (APRV)
- Trauma support – Rapid whole blood delivery to replenish blood volume and improve clotting
Our Patient Populations
Aeromed is equipped to care for patients of all ages and acuity levels, ensuring rapid access to TGH’s leading trauma, cardiac, neurosurgical and specialty services. We transport:
- Adults and teens
- Children, infants and newborns
- Expectant mothers requiring advanced obstetric care
- Cardiac patients with heart-related emergencies, including ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)
- Neurological patients
- Stroke patients requiring rapid neurological intervention
- Trauma patients
- K9 law enforcement officers
Our Other Special Initiatives
Beyond air and ground transport, Aeromed leads several important initiatives designed to further strengthen and support emergency preparedness in the communities we serve. These programs include:
- Community Outreach and Education – No-cost training and engagement opportunities for emergency medical services (EMS) partners, first responders, hospitals and community organizations
- Whole Blood Partnerships with Tampa Fire Rescue, Pasco County Fire Rescue, and Manatee County EMS – Whole blood transfusions to stabilize trauma patients on-scene and en route
- K9 Emergency Care and Transport Program – Advanced care and rapid transport for injured law enforcement K9s
*Air transport services provided by Metro Aviation, Inc.
Our Fleet and Base
Aeromed operates a diverse and highly specialized fleet designed to provide reliable and efficient medical transport across Florida. Through a longstanding partnership with Metro Aviation, Inc., our program maintains advanced aircraft and ground units equipped to support patients of all ages and clinical needs. Our operations run continuously, ensuring a rapid response and seamless transport whenever and wherever care is needed in our state.
Our Ground Transport Fleet
Aeromed’s ground division expands regional access to advanced life support and specialty care transport. Operating around the clock, our paramedics and nurses staff a fleet of three single-cab, medium-duty ambulances engineered for comfortable, secure and clinically supported transfers.
Our ground resources include:
- Single-cab ALS ambulance – Designed for routine interfacility missions, this critical care ground transport unit enables a high standard of advanced life support monitoring and clinical oversight while en route.
- Crew-cab ALS ambulance – The largest ground unit in our fleet, this emergency transport vehicle offers extended seating, ample workspace and a smooth ride over long distances. Its unique configuration is well-aligned with specialty and high-acuity missions requiring extra personnel or equipment.
Our Air Transport Fleet
Aeromed’s air ambulance program is supported by three aircraft types, each selected for its proven performance, safety record and ability to carry essential life-support equipment. Together, these aircraft enable us to ensure rapid access to TGH’s advanced trauma, cardiac and specialty medical services.
Our air medical fleet includes:
- EC 145 – The largest aircraft in our fleet, this twin-engine helicopter is designed for complex missions. Its spacious cabin accommodates specialty medical equipment, mechanical support devices and multiprovider clinical teams, making it well-suited for high-acuity aeromedical transport.
- EC 135 – A reliable and efficient aircraft trusted worldwide for medical transport, this twin-engine helicopter offers a balanced combination of safety, comfort and speed to support a wide range of emergency and interfacility missions.
- Bell 407 – A fast, agile helicopter optimized for rapid response, this advanced aircraft’s performance and maneuverability make it ideal for time-sensitive transports when every second matters.
Our Communications Center
At the core of Aeromed’s operations is the Aeromed Communications Center, our program’s central hub for mission coordination and safety oversight. Every Certified Air and Ground Transport Communications Specialist on our team is credentialed as a Certified Flight Communicator (CFC) through Metro Aviation, reflecting our commitment to patient safety and operational excellence. Through precise coordination and real-time communication, this dedicated group ensures every mission runs smoothly from start to finish.
The responsibilities of the Communications Center include:
- Coordination – Managing the intake, dispatch and deployment of air and ground units
- Tracking – Providing continual flight-following information and instant location updates
- Communication – Receiving 911 reports from EMS agencies for incoming ground and air arrivals
- Mobilization – Issuing trauma, burn, stroke and STEMI alerts to quickly prepare hospital resources
Our Safety and Quality Assurance
For more than 36 years, Aeromed has delivered high-quality critical care transport, maintaining an unblemished safety record that reflects our uncompromising commitment to our patients, our team members and the communities we serve. Every air and ground mission is supported by stringent safety standards, advanced training and a culture that prioritizes accountability at every level of our operations.
CAMTS-Accredited Air Medical Transport
Since 2013, Aeromed’s air transport program has been continuously accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). A nonprofit peer review organization, CAMTS sets rigorous standards for clinical care, aviation safety, communication practices and organizational performance. By maintaining this “gold standard” accreditation year after year, we demonstrate our unwavering commitment to exceeding safety expectations and adhering to industry-leading best practices.
Our Robust Quality Management/Performance Improvement (QM/PI) Program
Aeromed’s QM/PI program drives the advancement of clinical excellence and operational safety. In alignment with TGH’s mission to heal, teach and innovate, we ensure every transport mission meets the highest standard of care.
Our QM/PI program is:
- Data-driven – Uses immediate metrics to evaluate performance
- Evidence-based – Guided by the latest research and clinical standards
- Accountability-focused – Establishes clear expectations for safety and communication
- Innovation-oriented – Continually improves care delivery and team readiness
We proactively monitor key performance indicators, including clinical outcomes, readiness and response times, maintenance events, documentation accuracy and dispatch performance. This preemptive review process supports timely, expert and seamless care on every transport, whether by air or ground.
Our Commitment to a Safer Future
In partnership with the broader TGH system, Aeromed continues to build a safer, smarter and more responsive healthcare environment. Guided by a steadfast commitment to safety, education, innovation and teamwork, every mission we complete brings us one step closer to defining the future of high-quality medical transport.
Our Team
Aeromed is supported by highly trained flight nurses, flight paramedics, ground transport nurses and paramedics, communications specialists, and transport teams dedicated to delivering advanced, hospital-level care across Florida. Our team members undergo rigorous clinical education, specialized training and continuous readiness preparation to ensure safe, high-quality care on every mission.
Flight Nurses
Flight Nurses provide advanced critical care during air transport and function as fully interchangeable clinical partners with Flight Paramedics. They are responsible for comprehensive patient assessment, treatment, and transport decision-making for critically ill and injured adult and pediatric patients. Their strength lies in extensive critical care nursing experience, which enhances the management of complex medical, cardiac, neurologic, and trauma patients through advanced airway management, mechanical ventilation, invasive monitoring, blood product administration, and critical care pharmacology. Flight Nurses provide advanced airway management, mechanical ventilation, invasive monitoring, blood product administration, and complex medical and trauma care while operating autonomously in high-risk environments and collaborating with pilots, communications specialists, physicians, EMS partners, and hospital teams to ensure safe, seamless, and high-quality patient care.
Flight Paramedics
Flight Paramedics deliver the same advanced level of critical care during air medical transport and function as fully interchangeable clinical partners with Flight Nurses. They share equal responsibility for patient assessment, treatment, and transport decision-making for critically ill and injured adult and pediatric patients. Their strength is rooted in extensive pre-hospital experience and expertise, bringing critical scene management skills, rapid decision-making, and adaptability that balance and strengthen the crew configuration. Flight Paramedics provide advanced airway management, mechanical ventilation, invasive monitoring, blood product administration, and complex medical and trauma care while operating autonomously in high-risk environments and collaborating with pilots, communications specialists, physicians, EMS partners, and hospital teams to ensure safe, seamless, and high-quality patient care.
Ground Transport Nurses
Ground Transport Nurses provide high-quality patient care during BLS, ALS, and specialty care intrafacility ground transports and function in fully interchangeable roles with Ground Transport Paramedics. They are responsible for patient assessment, ongoing monitoring, treatment, and coordination of care for adult and pediatric patients requiring interfacility or intra-system transport. Their strength lies in their nursing background and clinical experience, which supports strong patient assessment, continuity of care, and management of specialty transport needs in collaboration with referring and receiving teams. Ground Transport Nurses operate with a high degree of autonomy while working closely with communications specialists, EMS partners, and hospital teams to ensure safe, efficient, and patient-centered ground transport.
Ground Transport Paramedics
Ground Transport Paramedics provide high-quality patient care during BLS, ALS, and specialty care intrafacility ground transports and function in fully interchangeable roles with Ground Transport Nurses. They share equal responsibility for patient assessment, treatment, and transport decision-making for adult and pediatric patients. Their strength is rooted in extensive pre-hospital experience, bringing efficiency, adaptability, and strong field-based clinical judgment that enhances safe and effective ground operations. Ground Transport Paramedics provide BLS and ALS interventions, support specialty care transports as indicated, and collaborate closely with communications specialists, EMS partners, and hospital teams, creating a balanced crew configuration that ensures consistent, high-quality care throughout every phase of ground transport.
Communication Specialists
Communication Specialists receive, process and coordinate all aeromedical transport requests from EMS agencies, the TGH Transfer Center and referring facilities. Communication Specialists monitor and track all aircraft activity, maintain communication with inbound and outbound aircraft and communicate with the vendor operational control center. They also receive, process and transfer communication regarding patients transported to TGH by ground.
Emergency Medical Services Pilots
Aeromed Pilots are responsible for the technical preparation of flights, including route planning, fuel checks and helicopter inspection. Pilots have extensive helicopter aviation experience and ensure the safe transport of the crew and patient during emergency missions.
Aviation Maintenance Technicians
Our Aviation Maintenance Technicians are the backbone of safety and reliability for the TGH Aeromed program. Highly skilled and meticulously trained, they are responsible for inspecting, maintaining, and repairing our aircraft to ensure every mission is completed safely and efficiently. Working behind the scenes and often around the clock, these professionals uphold the highest aviation standards, ensuring our aircraft are always mission-ready to support patients, crews, and the communities we serve, because when minutes matter, safety and precision matter most.
Medical Direction
Medical Direction for TGH Aeromed is led by our Medical Director and Associate Medical Director, who provide the clinical oversight and strategic guidance essential to a high-performing transport program. Our Medical Director has completed a formal EMS Fellowship, bringing advanced expertise in prehospital and transport medicine to the program. They are responsible for developing and maintaining evidence-based clinical protocols, supporting ongoing education and training, and ensuring the highest standards of patient care across all modes of transportation. Through close collaboration with clinical leadership and frontline crews, our medical directors ensure safe, consistent, and progressive medical practice, while fulfilling all core medical director responsibilities required to support a comprehensive critical care transport program.
Flight Crew Configurations
The standard Aeromed medical crew configuration includes a Flight RN/Paramedic and a Flight Paramedic, or a dual Flight RN/Paramedic team. TGH Perfusionists may join the crew for ventricular assist device transports. Neonatal transports include the TGH Neonatal Transport Team. Physicians may request a resident or attending physician to accompany an Aeromed Transport Team.
Aeromed Crew Training
TGH Aeromed crew members receive continuous training and education, including:
- Advanced airway training
- Competency-based equipment and procedural training
- Safety and operational training specific to the air medical environment
- Quarterly training in aviation safety, operations and FAA regulations
- Test-based monthly educational modules and protocol review
- Bi-annual advanced training competency assessment
- Scenario-based simulation training
- Advanced procedure training including central line insertion, chest tube insertion and surgical airway
- Specialized critical care training including IABP, VADs, pacemakers, pulmonary artery and arterial line catheters and ventriculostomy
Contact Us
The Aeromed Communications Center is always available to support transport needs, answer questions and assist community partners. Operating all day, every day, our team provides immediate coordination to ensure rapid, safe and seamless deployment.
Please call our Dispatch Center at (800) 727-1911 to:
- Request an air or ground critical care transport
- Arrange an interfacility patient transfer
- Initiate an emergency scene response
For general program information and other nonurgent inquiries, such as community engagement and public relations event requests, please contact us via email at contactaeromed@tgh.org.
Support Aeromed
As part of TGH’s nonprofit academic health system, Aeromed reinvests every dollar into patient care, safety initiatives, continuing education and community programs. If you would like to support our vital mission, you can make a direct impact by giving to the TGH Foundation. Your generous donation will help sustain the future of lifesaving transport services for communities throughout Florida.
