PennSTAR, the critical care transportation service of Penn Medicine, plays a vital role in connecting patients across the region to advanced medical care. The team operates from two bases: one at Penn Medicine Doylestown Health and another at Wings Airfield in Blue Bell. With the integration of Doylestown Health into the University of Pennsylvania Health System in spring 2025, PennSTAR returned to operating out of a hospital for the first time since the 1980s, enhancing direct access to patients and clinical staff.
The PennSTAR fleet consists of EC 145 twin engine helicopters capable of transporting patients from locations as far as the Poconos, Delaware, Jersey Shore, and Lancaster. The service has evolved since its start in 1987 when it was Philadelphia’s second air medical program with just one helicopter. Now, PennSTAR is integrated into the Penn Medicine Capacity Management Center alongside other groups focused on patient transfers and hospital capacity.
“Speed is a major advantage of helicopter medical transport, but it’s just as critical that these aircraft are capable of delivering intensive care, ensuring uninterrupted treatment from one location to the next, which is essential to improving patient outcomes,” said Wayne Riddle, PhD, RN, Interim Program Director for PennSTAR.
Each flight includes a paramedic and nurse trained in emergency medicine and critical care. They carry equipment typically found in an ICU—including cardiac monitors and ventilators—allowing them to provide high-level care during transport. “We are essentially caring for an ICU-level patient inside a small box. We don't have the resources that nurses and staff would have within a traditional ICU. Most of our equipment is located in bags. We don't have cabinets to go to. We don’t have a pharmacy to walk to get our supplies,” Riddle explained. “The environment that we care for our patients [in] can be very unpredictable.”
The helicopters are owned by Penn Medicine but operated and maintained by Metro Aviation. Pilots must have at least 2,000 flight hours before consideration by Metro Aviation; many come from military backgrounds or civilian aviation roles such as charter or tour flights.
Maintenance is rigorous and includes mandatory inspections every 800 flight hours. Wendell May, aviation site manager for Metro Aviation, described their process: “They pull everything out here so that they can take a look at any components, any cracks, anything here in the structure.” Each tool and part has a specific place and is checked multiple times.
“We maintain the aircraft to zero defects,” said mechanic Jason Mann. “They can’t pull off to the side of the road...We do our damn best to do it.” Mann emphasized that working on air ambulances carries higher stakes than commercial aviation because lives depend directly on their work.
A notable incident occurred in May 2025 when pilot Bobby King successfully landed a helicopter after tail rotor failure—a potentially catastrophic event—using skills learned during his Army service. King credited teamwork for their safe outcome: “I’m very blessed at the job the crews did...They kept their composure and their cool and they didn’t panic.” King was later named National EMS Pilots Association’s 2025 Pilot of the Year. “There are pilots doing miraculous things every day in a helicopter…so I was quite honored to receive the award,” he said.
PennSTAR also benefits from having Philadelphia’s only instrument flight approach for medical helicopters at Penn Medicine’s Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs helipad—enabling landings even during challenging weather conditions.
“When a patient needs care, that doesn't always happen when the weather is perfect,” May said. “So having that capability, we are able to get the patient to the care, where other really no other programs could.”
Flight nurse John Buckwalter highlighted how initial contact with Penn Medicine often happens through PennSTAR: “I think it’s important to understand that a lot of times we’re the first contact with Penn Medicine a lot of people have. And it's important that we bring our philosophy and our experience and our educations to the bedside.”
After each mission concludes with transfer at specialized facilities like neurosurgical ICUs, crew members often update families about patient status—a gesture intended for reassurance during stressful times.
“It’s the human side of the job where we want to make sure that we’re doing the best we can for the family and that their loved one is in good hands,” said O’Leary.
Robin Wood, PhD, MSN, CEN, vice president for System Capacity Management and Patient Flow at Penn Medicine added: “It’s a very challenging environment; these are extremely critical patients that you are managing without multiple resources.”
“The Doylestown community now has swift access to multiple critical care services that Penn Medicine offers,” Wood noted regarding expanded regional coverage following recent health system integration.
John Buckwalter summarized: “Everything is about speed and efficiency...The faster from time you’re injured to time you’re in an operating room makes a huge difference in patient outcomes.”
PennSTAR continues providing rapid response across southeastern Pennsylvania communities while supporting both local hospitals and advanced academic centers within Penn Medicine.
