St. Charles switches from AirLink to Life Flight for air medical transport in Central Oregon
(Update: adding video, Life Flight Network is a not-for-profit air medical transport organization)
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — St. Charles Health System is switching air medical transport partners, naming Life Flight Network as its preferred provider for patient transport and ending a long-standing relationship with AirLink.
The decision comes after a months-long request for proposals process focused on patient transportation between St. Charles facilities and from St. Charles hospitals to out-of-region care facilities. The change does not impact 911 emergency response services in Central Oregon communities.
Life Flight Network, a not-for-profit air medical transport organization founded in Oregon in 1978, has served Central Oregon for decades and opened its Redmond base in 2012. The organization is owned by four nonprofit Pacific Northwest health systems: OHSU, Legacy, Providence and St. Alphonsus.
AirLink, which has been a staple in the Central Oregon community since at least 2013, said it respects St. Charles' decision but will remain in the area.
"We're not going anywhere. We've been here a long time. And in fact, there's people on our team that have been with the company for well over 20 years. And AirLink has been a staple in the community," said Dan Brattain, regional vice president for AirLink. "We respect their decision. That's their call. However, we know what our service is. We provided a top-notch service to the community."
Brattain said AirLink has secured two hangars in Redmond and added another hangar in Bend after the hospital indicated it wants to use the current pad area for expansion. The company will move off the hospital pad back to the Bend Airport and may do some basing in Redmond.
"Our understanding is where there were three bidders, as being one of those and obviously LifeFlight. And they selected LifeFlight. We still have a current agreement with them. So our agreement expires in a few months," Brattain said.
Life Flight says patients will see no disruption during the transition, which will happen over the coming months.
"We're very familiar with the Saint Charles system as we've been flying patients in and out of the hospitals in this Central Oregon area. And so there shouldn't be any disruption. We're familiar with the system. We're familiar with the providers and how they transfer patients," said Angela Holcomb, business area manager for Life Flight. "The public shouldn't see any disruption at all in services."
Holcomb said Life Flight and AirLink have worked side by side for 14 years with great working relationships.
"The majority of people can't tell us apart when we show up into a hospital room and we're coming to take their loved one. And so I think for the public to know that both air medical companies provide excellent service in this area. And I don't see that anyone will notice much difference as far as the public is concerned," Holcomb said.
Life Flight crews operate with a team of three: a pilot, a critical care nurse and a critical care paramedic. The aircraft services all of Central Oregon and can fly to Portland, Klamath Falls and other locations as needed. Five or six helicopters stationed throughout the valley, north of Central Oregon and east of Central Oregon cover the region, all within less than an hour away.
For 911 calls, Deschutes County 911 dispatches the closest available aircraft, whether it's Life Flight, AirLink or another aircraft from outside Central Oregon, ensuring patients get care as quickly as possible.
"What I'm most proud of is our culture. The dedication that all of our flight crew members and our pilots and our mechanics and our air staff and our support staff, everyone within the company and how we all have the same mission. We all have the same values. We all want what's best for the patient," Holcomb said.
All Life Flight staff at the Redmond base live in Central Oregon, raise their kids here and recreate here.
"We were founded in Oregon almost 50 years ago. So we've been in the central Oregon area operating here for the last 14 years at this Redmond base. But our aircraft out of Portland has been also servicing this area prior to us establishing a base here," Holcomb said.
St. Charles values its longstanding collaboration with regional EMS partners and remains committed to working closely with local agencies in support of the communities they collectively serve.
LifeFlight says patients are expected to see a transition from AirLink to their critical care medical transport. That transition will happen in the next few months, with no disruptions expected in service.
Reported at 11:53 AM on May 27, 2026
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- St. Charles Health System is moving away from its longtime air ambulance program, AirLink, and partnering with Life Flight Network to handle patient transports across Central Oregon and beyond.
The change will roll out in the coming months, shifting how critically ill patients are moved between facilities.
The decision is raising questions about what prompted the switch, how patients may be affected, and what lies ahead for AirLink and its members.
KTVZ’s Tracee Tuesday takes a closer look in a full report tonight at 6 p.m. on NBC.
