posted May 22, 2025

Air medical teams share advanced capability transporting cardiac patients

YORK, PA – May 22, 2025 – For the fifth consecutive year, Air Methods’ WellSpan WellFlight teams from Gettysburg and Lebanon, along with their LifeNet 8-1 sister base in Hagerstown, partnered with WellSpan’s ground Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers to honor frontline teams during National EMS Week.

Throughout the week, crews visited WellSpan hospitals across the region, including Gettysburg, Waynesboro, Lebanon’s Good Samaritan, York, Ephrata, and Chambersburg. In addition to serving meals and thanking ground EMS partners, teams shared firsthand how new tools and training are advancing patient care —especially in high-acuity cardiac cases.

At the center of their conversations was the ZOLL AutoPulse® NXT automated CPR device, now standard equipment on all WellFlight and LifeNet aircraft. Crews demonstrated how the integration of this state-of-the-art device, which provides consistent, high-quality chest compressions throughout transport, without interruption and without compromising crew safety, can further enhance patient care.

“Adding the AutoPulse NXT is a game-changer for our crews and our patients,” said Ron Brown, WellFlight and LifeNet Account Executive, RN, and former LifeNet Flight Paramedic. “It ensures CPR is not only continuous but safer and more effective, especially when seconds count and every movement matters.”

Unlike manual chest compressions, which can be physically exhausting and inconsistent, the AutoPulse NXT ensures seamless compressions while allowing medical crews to remain securely restrained in flight.

“Performing high-quality CPR during air transport used to require difficult compromises between patient care and crew safety,” said Dr. Stephanie Queen, DNP, MBA, RN, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Air Methods. “This device allows us to deliver lifesaving care without making that trade-off.”

Air Methods, the nation’s leading provider of air medical services and the parent company of WellFlight and LifeNet, rolled out the AutoPulse NXT device across its entire community-based fleet earlier this month, reinforcing its commitment to clinical innovation and safety. Each year, more than 600 patients transported by Air Methods require CPR. With the AutoPulse NXT, clinicians can now deliver uninterrupted compressions during flights, better supporting today’s standards of cardiac care, including ECMO and rapid transport to PCI-capable hospitals.

“National EMS Week is about recognizing the tireless work of our EMS partners on the ground,” said Brown. “By working side-by-side and advancing the tools we use together, we’re building a stronger system of care, one that gives every patient the best possible chance.”

National EMS Week highlights the essential role of pre-hospital providers in delivering timely, high-quality care and the integration of the AutoPulse NXT exemplifies how technology can elevate that standard.

For high-resolution photos and video of the ZOLL AutoPulse® NXT automated CPR device, click here.