This past summer, Stephanie Queen joined the Air Methods executive team as the Senior Vice President of Clinical Services. With 20 years of nursing under her belt, Queen has leveraged her expertise and passion for improving the quality and safety of healthcare delivery across the country for Air Methods.

Before making the move to Colorado, Queen was at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, where she served in the role of Director of Clinical Operations for PICU, CVICU, Burn ICU, ECMO, Cardiac Step Down, CVVH and Cath Lab. Prior to Riley Children’s, Queen worked as a registered nurse in the pediatric and adult oncology spaces.

It was during her time at Vanderbilt University, where she received her Doctorate in Nursing Practice, that she first learned about Air Methods. Vanderbilt LifeFlight, a subsidiary of Air Methods, is a world-class leader in critical care, providing innovative air medical transport services for the Nashville, Tenn., region.

“The mission of Air Methods really resonates with me, which is what drew me to the company,” Stephanie explained. “Air Methods is the best of the best and our driver is to be better and focus on what we need to do to think differently.”

Since joining Air Methods, Queen has focused on revamping the leadership culture and the education structure into one that emphasizes clinician support and fosters an excitement to learn. Another focus of hers is clinician burnout—a topic that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Being a clinician in the air medical field has its added stressors and Queen is committed to providing Air Methods clinicians with adequate PPE and training to ensure they can transport patients safely, effectively, and quickly. In recent weeks, Queen made the tough decision to turn clinician training virtual to minimize travel for in-person training labs.

“In the spirit of Thanksgiving this year, I am thankful for my family, my faith, and my incredible family here at Air Methods,” said Queen. “The work our teams do is admirable, and I don’t take lightly what a privilege it is to be making a difference in the lives of many across the country.”