Airlift Northwest | 11
to operate their aircraft. In serving the Pa-
cific Northwest, Nelson explains that pilots
encounter all matter of environmental con-
ditions, flying over water, mountainous ter-
rain and air corridors where hot-pockets or
winds never make two days the same. Last
year, these pilots and medical personnel par-
ticipated in 3200 transports, caring for lives
and saving lives in the process.
In terms of the future, Nelson says Air-
lift Northwest will remain dedicated to its
current region of service while also seeking
means to maintain its viability. With much
of its funding provided by reimbursements
from insurance providers, changes in the
healthcare law and declining reimbursement
rates have Airlift Northwest seeking new fi-
nancing solutions. Nelson explains that Air-
lift Northwest has established a new mem-
bership program.
For $79 a year, an entire family could be
covered such that if a need for transport by
this service occurred, no charges will be as-
sessed to anyone in the family beyond what
insurance pays. That’s a small price to pay for
the capabilities deployed by Airlift North-
west, but Nelson reminds that it is also a
small donation to support a vital service sav-
ing lives in the northwest. She says they also
plan to reach out to Washington’s leading
pillars of industry and community leaders to
connect and cultivate donors. “Dr. Copass
use to say that our good work would speak
for itself, but we’ve realized that it is impor-
tant to do more to let people know what we
do,” says Nelson.
Of course, for those who have relied on
Airlift Northwest, there is clear understand-
ing of why this service is so critically essen-
tial. For a case in point, one need only con-
sider Author Richard Bach. In the months
that have followed since Airlift Northwest
responded to his crash and rushed him to the
waiting arms of the doctors that helped save
his life, he went on to establish a fund that
now benefits critical care programs affiliated
with UW Medicine, Harborview Medical
Center, and the services provided by Airlift
Northwest. This philanthropic fund is ap-
propriately and affectionately known by a
title fully indicative of what is so expertly of-
fered by Airlift Northwest - AGift of Wings.
Gifts to the A Gift of Wings fund can be
made online at
.
org/wings
