University of Michigan - Survival Flight

10/29/2025

Survival Flight was proud to take part in the Jackson County Fire Department Open House! The event brought together fire departments, EMS, and community partners for a day of learning, demonstrations, and fun for families.

Visitors were able to explore fire trucks, ambulances, and rescue equipment, while also meeting our flight team and getting a close-up look at our aircraft. Events like these are a great opportunity to connect with the community and highlight the teamwork that goes into emergency response.

10/26/2025

Survival Flight had the opportunity to meet with members of the Civil Air Patrol to talk about our profession as flight nurses — sharing our capabilities, the path to becoming a flight nurse, and the many personal attributes we share with the Civil Air Patrol such as dedication, teamwork, and service to others.

A big thank you to Captain Chuck Nemecek, Captain Mary Scilzo, and 2nd Lieutenant Wyatt Feldmann for the invitation and warm welcome. A special thank you to Captain Nemecek and the Civil Air Patrol for presenting Survival Flight with their Squadron Patch — an incredible honor

10/24/2025

🚨 Don’t Miss Our Fall Conference! 🚨
Registration is still open for all EMS licensures and nursing CEs!

📚 CEs Available:
• 14.5 Nursing CEs
• 13.5 EMS CEs

You’ll experience a mix of engaging lectures and hands-on training designed to strengthen your skills and expand your knowledge.

This is truly a conference you don’t want to miss — spots are still available, so be sure to sign up today!

https://umich-ssc.jotform.com/251974892185977

10/22/2025

There’s still time to grab one of our Halloween shirts! Each one is made to order and shipped right out — so it’ll arrive just in time for Halloween. We’ve added sweatshirts for the fall weather too!

🧡 All proceeds go directly to Toys for Tots, helping bring joy to families during the holidays.

And don’t forget… our Christmas versions will be coming soon! 🎅✨

https://www.aatwebstore.com/Toys4Totts/shop/home

10/21/2025

As we reflect on Dr. Bartlett’s passing, we extend our deepest gratitude for his contributions and our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues, students, and patients whose lives were touched by his compassion and intellect.

May his memory remain a guiding light for all who strive to push the boundaries of care and human potential.

Because of his efforts, thousands of lives—both children and adults with otherwise untreatable heart/lung failure—were given a chance.

◾️In Memoriam of Robert Hawes Bartlett, MD 1939 - 2025 ◾️
Without Dr. Bartlett, there is no ECMO: Dr. Bartlett saved more than 100,000 patient lives globally through his life’s work on ECMO. He changed the world.
Known globally as the Father of ECMO, Robert H. Bartlett spent his life not only caring for the critically ill, but pioneering, establishing and teaching others new ways to provide life-saving support to these patients. ECMO, perhaps his most prestigious achievement, is today a standard of care for lung and/or cardiac support for premature infants to the elderly.
Dr. Bartlett was recruited to the University of Michigan in 1980. Bringing along his ECMO team, he established the ECLS laboratory, which is still active today, supports up to 100 students, residents, and investigators annually. In the early days at the University of Michigan, he created the ECMO program, which was largely focused on neonatal patients, but he advocated for an ECMO program that would address the needs of all patients.
With the success of ECMO, in 1989 he founded the ELSO - Extracorporeal Life Support Organization a global organization to inspire camaraderie while advancing technology, knowledge, and access. His charter message was that ELSO will be the “motor for research, the forum for discussion, the internal conscience, and the external voice of extracorporeal life support. Membership is exclusively limited to individuals with experience in extracorporeal life support and commitment to improving the state-of-the-art and science, but expansively inclusive to everyone with those characteristics.
He will forever be the Father of ECMO. He changed the landscape of surgery and critical care; he had friends all over the world and lived life fully. His work will continue to save lives. He will be missed by many and remembered by us all as an inspiration, a compassionate clinician, and a great intellect.

Vale, Dr Robert H Bartlett.
🔗 elso.org/ecmo-resources/drbartlett.aspx
🎥 Gibbons challenge fulfilled: award to Dr Bartlett
🔗 youtube.com/watch?v=4sfPgPIQ49s

10/17/2025

It might look a little strange — like the helicopter is floating in with still blades — but it’s actually an optical illusion!

The phenomenon happens because of how camera shutters (or even your eyes under certain lighting) capture motion. The spinning rotor blades move so fast that they sometimes sync up with the frame rate of a camera, making them appear like they’re barely moving or even completely still.

In reality, those blades are moving hundreds of times per minute — generating the lift that keeps us safely in the air and bringing our patients the critical care they need. ✈️💨

69 likes, 2 comments. “It might look like the helicopter is floating in with still blades — but it’s actually an optical illusion! 👀 The phenomenon happens because of how camera shutters (or even your eyes under certain lighting) capture motion. The spinning rotor blades move so fast that t...

10/14/2025

Check out Toby’s story ❤️

Meet Toby one of our Little Victors from our 2025 calendar. “Toby has myeloschisis, a rare severe form of spina bifida. We had in-utero surgery in May 2024. Toby decided to come five weeks later in June 2024 via emergency c-section at our local hospital. We had placenta abruption, and a blood clot burst next to it. Toby was airlifted by the amazing University of Michigan - Survival Flight crew to Mott after being delivered at our local hospital. Toby spent 47 days in the Brandon NICU where she got the best care possible from the best care team possible. Toby is now thriving given the circumstances. Toby is also a celebrity in the NICU for her nickname of ‘Big Toe.’” Hail, Toby!

10/12/2025

We had the opportunity to spend time with the University of Michigan nursing students this week, discussing the topic of shock and what it looks like in real-world patient care.

These sessions are a great way to share what we do as flight nurses, highlight the full scope of nursing capabilities, and connect with future nurses as they prepare to enter the field.

We love being part of their learning experience and helping bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and critical care in the field. 💙🚁

10/09/2025

We are proud to recognize Jeff, one of our exceptional flight nurses, for presenting at the Michigan Society for Respiratory Care Conference this week.

Jeff consistently demonstrates a commitment to advancing clinical knowledge and improving patient care. His dedication to continuous learning and sharing that expertise with our team strengthens not only our program but the broader healthcare community as well.

Congratulations, Jeff, on this well-deserved opportunity and for representing our team with excellence.

10/06/2025

🚨 Our Fall Conference is filling up fast! 🍂

Join us November 10–11 in Frankenmuth, MI for two days packed with education, networking, and hands-on learning. We’ll have sessions offering EMS and Nursing CEs, interactive hands-on labs, and engaging lectures from experienced providers.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this incredible weekend of learning and collaboration — spots are going quick!

https://umich-ssc.jotform.com/251974892185977

10/04/2025

We had the privilege of teaching a lecture on shock for the nursing students at Eastern Michigan University. These students will be graduating in December, and it’s always an honor to play a small part in their education as they prepare to begin their careers in nursing.

09/30/2025

🚑💨 This week we had the opportunity to work alongside members of our EMS Hazmat and Technical Rescue teams on one of the most critical skills in prehospital care: difficult airways.

Using our soiled airway trainer, we practiced the SALAD technique for managing contaminated airways, reviewed premedication strategies for intubation, refined bougie use, and worked through cricothyrotomy landmarks with tips and tricks to prepare for those rare but high-stakes moments.