LifeFlight of Maine Staffs Up After Overhaul
The nonprofit air ambulance operator is now nearly fully staffed, a first in nine years, following pay equity and new mental health support measures.
By Rebecca Svoboda ·
Maine residents relying on air ambulances face a more reliable service this year as LifeFlight of Maine reports it is nearly fully staffed. The milestone marks the first time in nine years the Bangor-based nonprofit has achieved such staffing levels, a change driven by internal reforms to address high turnover and burnout.
The operational shift comes as demand for air medical transport in the state has doubled since 2015. In 2025, LifeFlight crews completed 3,031 flights, averaging more than one every three hours. Demand increased by another 10% in the current year. Nationally, air services are filling gaps left by rural hospital closures and the conversion of facilities to outpatient-only rural emergency hospitals.
CEO Joe Kellner, who took the helm in 2023, implemented the changes to fix retention issues that previously saw the company keep only 60% to 70% of its workers. Key initiatives include a six to eight month orientation program called the Critical Care Academy, a mentorship pipeline for new recruits, and a full-time mental health counselor on staff.
Kellner also standardized pay, raising paramedic salaries to match those of flight nurses. This move defied industry norms where paramedics typically earn less, a disparity intended to keep costs down but often cited as a factor in recruitment struggles.
The strain on emergency medical services has intensified due to Medicaid cuts estimated by the Congressional Budget Office at $911 billion over ten years. Hundreds of rural hospitals or maternity departments are at risk of closing, pushing patients further from care. In Maine, the fragmented ground ambulance system has left some patients without response, such as a woman in a northern town last year who died while dispatchers called 10 services.
Pilot Will Bradbury, flight nurse Denise Saucier, and paramedic Brian Merklin represent the current team. Merklin, who previously left the profession after a grueling stint in Nevada, credits LifeFlight’s peer support team for keeping him in the field. "There's a lot of lip service paid to the cost to your mental health in this profession," Merklin said. "But this is the only place I have ever worked that actually provided support."
The cost of training a new clinician is approximately $100,000. Kellner argues that retaining staff through better support and pay is a necessary investment as air ambulances become the primary lifeline for rural patients.
