title: Mission, staffing, and budget data of flight programs in the United States.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Manage care and other health care reform initiatives have forced all hospitals to evaluate their work processes. In this era of cost containment, many flight programs are examining the structure of their programs to determined whether they are functioning in an efficient, cost-effective fashion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was sent to the chief flight nurse of 240 flight programs in the United States.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-five programs (35.4%) responded. Data were collected on demographics, management structure, mission information, staffing issues, and budgets. Results in each program varied widely.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Benchmark data are available against which programs can compare themselves. Such comparisons may allow the discovery of opportunities to enhance program efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, PA, USA.
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Crowther
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Grindel
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kostenbader
authors.forename: K Q
authors.initials: KQ
authors.lastname: O'Hara
mesh_terms: D017732:Air Ambulances / Q000191:economics*; D002017:Budgets; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003625:Data Collection; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D014600:Utilization Review