Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service offers a licensed airplane flown by professional pilots and staffed with highly trained paramedics, nurses, respiratory therapists, pediatric and neonatal specialists, perfusionists, and physicians who provide care to people with complex health conditions during transfer from hospital to hospital.
Mayo Clinic staffs all air ambulances with teams of medical professionals who have extensive experience treating adults and children. We select specialists, nurses, paramedics and respiratory therapists based on the needs of the patient.
Destinations
Mayo Clinic's medical airplane flies our patient care team throughout the United States and parts of Canada. The team safely brings patients to Mayo Clinic, to other healthcare facilities or to their homes after care.
The air ambulance airplane is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Aircraft, aviation crew and operations certificates are provided by Mayo Clinic on air carrier certificate number 15MA529N. Our air carrier certificate is approved for transports into and out of Canada.
Requesting a flight
The Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service emergency communications team coordinates flights and can be reached at 800-237-6822 (toll-free) or 507-255-2808. Communications specialists can answer your questions about our service and arrange all aspects of your travel, including help with coordinating appointments.
Mayo Clinic emergency communications specialists handle all the details of air medical travel to Mayo Clinic, making arrangements as easy as possible for the patient and family. When necessary, Mayo's certified medical dispatchers can help identify a receiving doctor.
Cost
In many cases, health insurance or HMO plans do not cover air ambulance service if it is deemed not medically necessary or if it is selected by patient preference. Air ambulance dispatchers provide a cost estimate when you call. Full payment for air ambulance transport is often required at the time of service if it is not medically necessary.
For questions about your transport bill or insurance claims after a transport on our air ambulance airplane, please contact our business office at 800-776-9001 (toll-free).
Accreditation
Mayo Clinic's air ambulances are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, the industry's most-respected stamp of approval for all aspects of air safety and quality. Additionally, Mayo Clinic’s air ambulances are accredited by the International Standard for Business Aviation Operations, which designates that Mayo Clinic's aviation program is following the best practices within the aviation industry.
Aircraft, medical personnel, aviation crew and operations certificates are provided by Mayo Clinic.
Pilots
Mayo Clinic's medical airplane has two pilots on every flight. These highly trained and experienced individuals are dedicated emergency medical services pilots, meaning they are full-time professionals who fly air medical missions exclusively with Mayo Clinic. All pilots carry Airline Transport Pilot certification, the highest certification available.
Mayo Clinic's medical airplane
Beechcraft Textron King Air 350C
- Cruising speed: 310 knots (357 mph).
- Seating capacity: One patient plus seating for the medical team, including specialists, and passengers as the patient's condition dictates.
- Engine type: Twin turboprop engines.
