Starting in March 2026, Vanderbilt LifeFlight, the comprehensive medical transport program within Vanderbilt University Medical Center, will begin transitioning flight services back in-house. Through a phased approach, all nine of the programs’ bases will be fully transitioned by June. This change aligns with Vanderbilt LifeFlight’s goal of owning all aspects of the flight program. While Vanderbilt LifeFlight will have complete control and authority over all medical and patient billing aspects of the LifeFlight program, the aviation services will be provided by Metro Aviation, Inc., a well-known and highly regarded family-owned company headquartered in Louisiana.
“We are very excited about this transition and what it means for both the communities we serve and the future success of Vanderbilt LifeFlight,” said Sherri Dean Associate Nursing Officer for Vanderbilt LifeFlight. “Metro Aviation’s commitment to improving the safety and quality in the
air medical industry aligns perfectly with Vanderbilt LifeFlight’s values, making them an ideal partner for this evolution.”
“We are honored to welcome Vanderbilt LifeFlight into the Metro Family,” said Todd Stanberry, Vice President and Co-Owner of Metro Aviation. “Vanderbilt has a long-standing reputation for excellence in patient care, and we’re proud to bring our operational expertise to this next chapter
in the LifeFlight story. We are committed to ensuring a safe transition and many years of safe, reliable aircraft operations to the communities we will serve with our partners at Vanderbilt.”
With this transition, flight dispatching will be under the purview of Vanderbilt LifeFlight. FlightCom is fully staffed 24/7 with a team that has extensive experience and training. The team is led by TJ Darst, Director of Communications for Vanderbilt LifeFlight.
“We’re thrilled to bring our flight program fully in-house with an elite team of Certified Flight Coordinators we hand-selected from a regional search,” said Laura Price, Associate Operating Officer for Vanderbilt LifeFlight. “Every member brings deep aviation experience, most with
air-ambulance and dispatch backgrounds and is already embedded across our LifeFlight operation, working side-by-side with clinicians and ground crews. This move empowers us to connect world-class healthcare to those we serve with even greater compassion and consistency.”
During this change, safety remains the program’s highest priority. Vanderbilt LifeFlight is working closely with Air Methods, Metro Aviation, and safety professionals to maintain safe quality patient care during the transition. During and after the transition, the process for requesting transport will remain the same.
Vanderbilt LifeFlight started 41 years ago with one helicopter based at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Now the program has eight helicopter bases in Middle and West Tennessee and one airplane base in Lebanon, TN.
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