Lewisville, Texas, Oct. 30, 2017 -- Brad Simmons, Med-Trans Corporation base manager at Erlanger's Health System's Life Force Air Medical in Tennessee, has been named 2017 Pilot of the Year by the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA).
He was recognized for outstanding contributions to Emergency Medical Services defined as leadership, mentoring, technical knowledge and expertise, contributions to aviation or transport safety and/or overall personal professionalism. Selection was made by NEMSPA Board of Directors and presented at the annual awards dinner of the Association of Air Medical Services' Air Medical Transportation Conference held this year in Fort Worth, Texas.
"As one of our most tenured Life Force pilots, Brad Simmons has shown us what a true professional pilot looks like," said Robbie Tester, Vice President of Operations at Erlanger. "He goes above and beyond and has always been dedicated and committed to the profession. Over the last two years, Brad has been instrumental in ensuring that Life Force 5 is a high functioning base and continues to carry the standard of being world-class to a new market."
"Brad Simmons exemplifies the type of pilot leader that Med-Trans has throughout our organization," said Med-Trans President Rob Hamilton. "His positive contributions to our industry serve as a reminder of the advantages of selfless service and focus on safety as a core value."
After the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, Simmons was one of the Med-Trans pilots who flew to San Antonio, Texas as part of the disaster relief efforts. His willingness to fly a Life Force helicopter to Texas in order to help more people is a true statement of his character.
Simmons spent 20 years as a pilot for Erlanger Medical Centers Life Force and five years as Chief Pilot. He became Base Manager for Med- Trans as the organization transitioned to Med-Trans flight operations supporting medical teams from Erlanger. Previously, he was base lead for Pumpkin Air for more than nine years, spent five years as lead pilot for Careflight Harris Methodist and began his flying career in the U.S. Army.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in health and physical education/fitness from Union University where he was junior-senior class president and played baseball for three years. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Flight School.
Med-Trans, celebrating its 35th year in business, has grown into a leading national medical transport provider, focused on establishing intimate relationships with leading health systems, medical centers, and EMS agencies. With a broad range of solutions, Med-Trans is able to help its partners stay focused on patients, knowing that they have a shared value set and focus from their transportation partner.
Med-Trans is focused on establishing partnerships with hospital systems, medical centers and EMS agencies. Med-Trans offers customized air ambulance programs through alternative delivery/shared resource models, community based models and traditional hospital-based models.
Med-Trans is focused on establishing partnerships with hospital systems, medical centers and EMS agencies. Med-Trans offers customized air ambulance programs through alternative delivery/shared resource models, community based models and traditional hospital-based models.
With relationships in 26 states and operations from more than 90 base locations, Med-Trans and its dedicated workforce of more than 1,200 employees are making a difference in lives and communities every day. For more info go to www.med-trans.net.
About Life Force
Life Force is comprised of three major divisions; Air Medical (Life Force Medical Crew), Communications Center (Life Force Dispatch and MedComm), and Med-Trans Corporation (Providing Aviation Assets, Pilots and Mechanics). Each group contributes to the mission of providing safe, comprehensive, effective, and compassionate patient care and delivering superior customer service through service excellence and innovation. Life Force is a regional resource for East Tennessee, North Georgia, Northeast Alabama, and Western North Carolina.
Life Force serves patients who have suffered any kind of severe trauma or burn, as well as severe medical illnesses. Each aircraft has equipment and the trained staff to care for people in all stages of life, from infants to geriatrics. Life Force may also be utilized in some situations, in search and rescue missions.
