On a crisp and windy day 25 years ago last March, flight nurse Chuck Wendler took off on a historic AirCare helicopter mission that lasted all of 19 minutes. It was the first hospital-based helicopter transfer of a patient in Iowa history.

Now, 25 years later, Wendler and AirCare both have reason to celebrate. AirCare is reflecting on a quarter century of service, having completed over 20,000 flights. Wendler is beginning a new era in his life as he semi-retires from the AirCare team.

AirCare's many distinctions include the fact it is Iowa's only helicopter air medical operation that flies with a team of two flight nurses.

"This means we have two highly qualified professionals on board who follow strict protocols and use their critical thinking skills to make important medical decisions," says Diane Lamb, R.N., assistant nurse manager of the Air and Mobile Critical Care Service. "A physician's expertise is only a phone call away, but this extra level of professional empowerment while in the skies is what lures many of the best nurses to join the AirCare team." The flight nurse crew includes nine competitively chosen registered nurses who have regular hospital nursing responsibilities, but remain on-call for AirCare duty.

While trauma-related flights from accident scenes account for 10 percent of all AirCare flights, patient transfers are more common. These flights bring critically ill patients requiring specialized care to UI Hospitals and Clinics or to the neonatal or pediatric intensive care units at University of Iowa Children's Hospital.

Vital to AirCare's mission is its working relationship with hundreds of paramedics, firefighters, police departments, and 57 hospitals throughout the region. "It's a unique relationship we share with the communities and residents of this state," Lamb says.