LifeSave Kansas Honors 25 Years of Critical Care Service with Special Anniversary

Emergency air medical program hosts event to commemorate milestone anniversary

WICHITA, KS - Sept. 17, 2026 - The LifeSave Kansas emergency air medical program commemorated 25 years of dedicated service to communities across the state with a celebration held at the program's Wichita base on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The event brought together current and former crew members from their bases in Wichita, Emporia, and Liberal, as well as company leaders and Wichita's Vice Mayor, Dalton Glasscock.

"The City of Wichita is so proud to have LifeSave in our community. The work you do keeps our citizens, and citizens across the region, safe," said Glasscock. "For a quarter of a century, you have been there when minutes matter. For some patients, the treatment and specialized medical care they need can be hundreds of miles away. You bridge that distance every single day. You are meeting people on their most difficult day and showing them compassion when they need it the most."

Guests got a close-up look at one of the program's fixed-wing air medical planes and the specialized equipment it carries. They also heard from special guest speakers and gained insight into what it takes to deliver critical care from the skies 24/7.

"Twenty-five years is a number that represents thousands of missions, countless hours helping to reunite families, and most importantly, giving patients a second chance," said Air Methods Account Executive Bill Albright. LifeSave is part of Air Methods, the nation's leading emergency air medical service provider.

Every LifeSave aircraft carries highly-skilled critical care clinicians. Their flight nurses and paramedics have at least three years of experience in an emergency or intensive care setting before joining a flight crew. They receive ongoing advanced training, and have access to Air Methods Ascend, an in-person and online training program that allows clinicians to perform at the top of their licensure. Air Methods Ascend is available to medical personnel across the country.

"LifeSave has never just been an aircraft; it is the people who show up every single day and make this work," said Flight Nurse/Paramedic Shelby Zagrabski. "It's our flight nurses and paramedics who walk into some of the most challenging situations, bringing their experience, knowledge, and compassion to every patient. It's our pilots who get us there and back safely, and the mechanics who make sure we can fly. All these people make the program last. Those who came before us set the standard-now it is our responsibility to carry that forward."

With both rotor and fixed wing bases, LifeSave provides a network of emergency air medical support across the region. Their flying ICUs respond to scene calls to administer critical care for accident and trauma patients, as well as those suffering from hearts attacks, strokes, and other urgent medical needs, when every minute counts. They also provide interfacility transports when patients need to move from one hospital to another for specialized care. Their airplanes are able to fly patients longer distances, which is critical in rural parts of the state where a Level 1 trauma center may be hundreds of miles away.

"Doing this for 25 years shows that we are doing it right," said Zagrabski. "We truly care about our patients. That is what our focus has always been, and that's why we've lasted."