Flight 1 Air-medical Team Reaches New Heights

Very few medical helicopters fly with a flight nurse and respiratory therapist on every mission. This unique configuration is one of the reasons Vertical Magazine spent a week in Central Florida with AdventHealth's Flight 1 team.

The team is featured in an article, titled Lifesaving Archangels, part of Vertical's Fall 2024 edition and tells the story of Flight 1 from its humble origins nearly 40 years ago to its current place as one of just a few programs of its kind in the U.S.

The story features team members like flight nurse Contessa Graebert, who traces the beginnings of her career to fascination born from a family member's air ambulance ride as a child.

"My parents credit that helicopter team with saving her life," Graebert told the magazine.

The magazine also produced a companion video, titled Saving Lives in Florida: Inside AdventHealth's Flight 1 Program. The more than 10-minute piece takes viewers onboard Flight 1 as it flies above Central Florida on its lifesaving missions.

Click the video player at the beginning of this article to watch.