MassDevelopment

Boston MedFlight adding a jet airplane to arsenal of vehicles used to transport critically ill, injured patients


May 11, 2022 : MassLive, by Chris Van Buskirk


Boston MedFlight plans to buy and renovate a jet airplane to transport critically ill or injured patients, an addition to its familiar arsenal of helicopters that the organization says will help it reach faraway locations.

The jet, a Cessna Citation CJ4, will join the organization’s five helicopters and eight ambulances that make up the critical care transport vehicle fleet. Boston MedFlight CEO Maura Hughes said the addition of the airplane will allow the company to transport patients to and from longer distances.

“Our missions are bedside to bedside when time is of the essence, and we look forward to improving and expanding our capabilities with the addition of this jet to carry out critical, life-saving flights,” Hughes said in a statement.

MassDevelopment issued an $8.1 million tax-exempt lease on behalf of Boston MedFlight to purchase and renovate a medically configured Cessna. The company provides transport to some of the region’s most severely ill and injured patients with helicopters and ground vehicles.

Boston MedFlight partners with hospitals across the Boston area like Massachusetts General Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital.

Over the past 37 years, Boston MedFlight has transported roughly 90,000 patients in eastern Massachusetts and provides $7 million each year in free and unreimbursed care to patients, a statement from MassDevelopment said.

“Boston MedFlight ensures New England residents receive rapid care and safe delivery to the region’s world-class medical institutions,” MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera said in a statement. “MassDevelopment is proud to help the organization enhance its emergency fleet with a jet airplane that will provide safer, more efficient transport in times of need.”