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"For over 30 years
we've been arranging free flights so children and adults
can have access to the far-from-home doctors that can save their lives."
 
    
Healthcare for Heroes award winner
Healthcare Champions award winner
 
What's up March 20, 2015

See all events 


Upcoming Events

Flight with the AeroShell Aerobatic Team! April 24, 2015 


Tickets are $20 for 1 chance; $100 for 6 chances and $200 for 13 chances to win. Winner need not be present to win. Drawing at our Pilot Awards Gala April 10 in West Palm Beach, FL

Sun 'N' Fun

 

5K Run April 4, 2015 Orlando Executive Airport 

Saturday April 4, 2015 from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM EDT

The Orlando Executive Airport is hosting our 5th 5K run/walk April 4th! We are limiting the 5K Run to the first 500 runners/walkers that want to sign up and support us. A unique run on taxiways and a runway to support a great cause! Families welcome for this Easter weekend event!

Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Community Bldg.

 

The Dr. Norris Pilot Awards Gala & Golf Classic for Angel Flight Southeast 

Friday April 10, 2015 at 5:30 PM EDT -to- Saturday April 11, 2015 at 2:00 PM EDT

A special thanks to our title sponsors: The Dr. Norris Family Foundation for sponsoring our Pilot Awards Gala & Golf at Madison Green Golf Club. Friday night 5:30-10pm will be a our Pilot Awards Gala, and Saturday will be a 8:30am shotgun start golf tourney. We've moved the Gala to April so we can recognize our pilots and a calendar-year basis.

Madison Green Golf Club

 

2015 Amazing Race for Charity 

Saturday April 11, 2015 from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM EDT

Based upon ideas from the hit CBS television series, The Amazing Race, this event is derived from a successful race that organizers in Loveland, Ohio have staged annually for the last eight years. The Amazing Charity Race has raised almost half a million dollars for charity and now sells all 600+ team slots!

Ferran Park

 

Planes, Trains & BBQ 2015 

Saturday April 18, 2015 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM EDT

Air Show, Seaplane rides, train rides, state sanctioned BBQ competition, car show and musical entertainment throughout the day. Our charity has been once again chosen by the City of Tavares as the exclusive drink vendor for the event!

Wooton Park, Tavares, FL

 


 

 

 

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Katheryn and mom, Rebekka_Enroute
Garcia girls Andrea, mom, pilot Marc Miller, dad and Maria
Horath family and pilot Philip North
Aubrey sleeping
Joe Rowan in the cockpit
Kieran Parham
Future Mercy Pilot Derrik
Claudia Mark Diamond Mitsy & Steve
Nestor in his flight suit
 
5K runs
Orlando Executive Airport Saturday April 4th

Register at RunForTheAngels5k.com
 
5K run Hwy 50


5K run Kittinger Park

 
Executive Airport 5K run Map

Pompano Beach Airpark Saturday May 2

Register on Active.com "Run for the Angels"



Thank you pilots!
  Milestones
 Congratulations to the following pilots:

Timothy Porter1st Mission Recognition!
Kerry Bentley1st Mission Recognition!
Elina Lunin10th Mission Recognition!
Frank Brunot10th Mission Recognition!
John Hanselman50th Mission Recognition!

Milestones is a new feature we will be using to celebrate our volunteer's efforts. Future weeks will publish many more milestones including 1,5,10,25,50 missions and more!!

These are the very special pilots that volunteered to take one or more of our many weekly missions.  Thank you!!

Harvey Moore x2

Frank Brunot

Tom Flynn

Robert Towe x2

Paul Hollowell x3

Mike Coutcher x2

Harv Gutwien

Paul Zavracky

John Hanselman

Warren Cheatham

Mark Snead

Rex Myers

Daniel Barreto

Daniel King

Ed Golly

 

43 mission legs were coordinated 2/28/2015 to 3/6/2015  

 

Stephen Gurney

Warren Cheatham x2

David Horsford

David Taisch

Stephen Everett

Glenn Hancock x2

Kelly Gotlieb

Ray Roberts

Tim Russell

Frank Brunot

Art Elliott

Doug Ellis

Boyd Ellison

Robert Towe x2

Dave Walker x3

Bo Bowman

Harv Gutwein

George Robbins

Ed Golly

Tim Bouchard

Kerry Bentley

Stan Shaw

 

45 mission legs were coordinated 3/14/2015 to 3/20/2015

Cloyce Darnell x2
Paul Cellecz
Dr. Howard Wasdin
Mark Spencer
Dave Walker x2
Mike Coutcher
Stan Simms
Joe DeMarco
Greg Banfield
Bob Wall
Jim Jordan
Kerry Bentley
John Epley
Harvey Moore x2


47 mission legs were coordinated 
3/7/2015 to 3/13/2015





Harv Gutwein flying Alex and mom Beth to their second appointment at Shands Hospital.

Co-pilot Yuri and pilot Jim Jordan also flying Alex.

Copilot and former pilot with us, Bill Doty and pilot Bob Wall who assisted Alex and mom Beth on the first flight.

Pilot George Robbins and Alex.
Alex and mom, Beth

Pilot Mike Coutcher, James and caregiver Haleigh. James had an intestinal transplant 11/26/2014 and travels to Jackson Memorial Hospital for monitoring check-ups.

Irene and pilot Paul Hollowell. Irene travels to participate in a clinical trial to treat her cancer.

How cute is little Desmond?!!  Tom Flynn flew him home after he spent a month at the hospital in Miami due to complications from his 8/7/2013 liver transplant.

Mom Charmaine and Desmond are happy to be on their way home.

Desmond in back of Tom's Cirrus sleeping.

Donald and pilot John Epley.  Donald is traveling to Mayo Clinic for surgery due to a post heart transplant (1/18/2008) complication.

John Epley and Donald. Cool picture behind his V-tail Bonanza.


Congratulations
2014 Pilot of the Year Honorees!
POY Group shot
Some of the 2013 Pilot of the Year honorees

We will be congratulating these fine pilots and recognizing many more at our annual Pilot Awards Gala in West Palm Beach on April 10th! This year we are being generously sponsored by the Dr. Norris Family foundation allowing us to recognize many more pilots than ever!

For more info, see "Upcoming Events" on the left side of the newsletter. If you want tickets to this event or the golf tournament the following day act fast! This WILL be a sellout event!

This year the Pilot of the Year Honorees are:

Pilot of the Year Honoree

Region/Category

Charles Gould 

North Florida

John Epley 

North Florida

George Robbins 

North Florida

Rick Wachstein 

Central Florida West

Warren Cheatham 

Central Florida West

John Hanselman 

Central Florida West

David Walker 

Central Florida East

Steven High 

Central Florida East

Alan Hoffberg 

Central Florida East

Marc C. Miller 

Southwest Florida

Gregory Frost 

Southwest Florida

Brian Lucas 

Southwest Florida

Greg Banfield 

South Florida

David Rivero 

South Florida

Fouad (Sam) Samaha 

South Florida

Charles George  

Georgia

Rodger Knox  

Georgia

Howard Wasdin 

Georgia

Delbert Hahn  

Alabama

Harry Palmer  

Alabama

William (Erik) Box  

Alabama

Broadus  Bowman  

South Carolina

John H. (Jack) Schuler  

South Carolina

Robert (Bob) Butler  

South Carolina

Ernest Burdette

Mississippi

James "Bo" Burroughs  

Mississippi

Paul Cellecz

Transplant

Fred Cutting  

Transplant

Charles Gould 

Transplant

Brian Lucas  

Rookie

Gregg Ostrander

Rookie

Tim Bouchard

Rookie

Bradley Pierce

Above & Beyond

Michael Alger

Above & Beyond

Broadus  Bowman  

Above & Beyond

Greg Frost

Dr. Norris Award

Alan Hoffberg  

Dr. Norris Award

Howard Wasdin  

Dr. Norris Award

 



 

Pilot Orientation class

Every third Monday
Next one: Monday April 20th 7pm 
(attend by telephone/PC) 
Register on left of newsletter under "Upcoming Events"
 
adult-education-header.jpg
This class is a must-have for our new pilots, but experienced volunteer pilots are welcome as well. Pilots only, please.

Pilot Brian Jarvis will be covering a variety of topics for enhancing the experience of flying our unique missions.

One hour class, telephone and internet enabled PC, laptop or tablet required.
 
Please sign up on left. Instructions and dial-in number will be sent.

Volunteer Opportunities
(Help Wanted) 

Please register for these on the links to the left, or email Steve at steve.purello@mercymail.org

 

Friday April 10 West Palm Beach, Madison Green Golf Club

  

Opportunities:
Van Drivers: Driving one of two 12 passenger vans for our pilots and spouses to and from the airport, hotels and venues. Hertz was very expensive to do this ($800) if anyone has better ideas? Would anyone like to sponsor this? We have 32 airplanes arriving at F45 airport alone!
Thanks Bill Brooks for being a driver!
Registration: Need 2-3 volunteers early at Madison Green to register attendees as they arrive
Silent/Mobile Auction: Need 2-3 volunteers to help register and electronically bid on items for attendees (might be the same as registration volunteers)
Aeroshell Raffle & Golf Ball Drop raffle sales/admin: Need 1-2 volunteers

2015 Amazing race for Charity Saturday April 11th
Eustis, FL 
We forfeited. Thank you Michelle Pedde for trying so hard!

If interested in volunteering or have questions, please email me at steve.purello@mercymail.org

Dr. Norris Pilot Awards Gala updates

3 Weeks to go!
Entertainment
Larry Johnson of the "Temptations" will be our Master of Ceremonies and entertainment for the night! He will be singing with his two backup singers, performing Motown hits such as "My Girl" and "It's Just My Imagination"
Larry Johnson and Elevated Soul


Press

Congratulations to Charlie Gould!
Charlie Gould article
"Angel Flight Pilot flies with a purpose"

 

Pensacola News Journal 

Marketta Davis, pnj.com 9:44 p.m. CDT March 10, 2015

  

Pensacola resident Charlie Gould is recognized for his dedication to Angel Flight

 

Shortly thereafter in 1976, he found himself taking lessons and obtaining his credentials to follow in his friend's footsteps. He flew for his own company for awhile, but as his business picked up, the opportunities to take to the air were few and far between.

In 2005, a friend who was severely burned introduced Gould to Angel Flight, a non-profit volunteer pilot organization that provides free air transportation by private aircraft to distant medical facilities.

"I didn't really have a use for a plane ... it really wasn't anything I would use," Gould said. "But then I called up the Angel Flight people, got signed up for it, went out and bought an airplane, and started flying planes for them."

The Pensacola pilot will be recognized for the third year in a row as an honoree for the "Pilot of the Year" Award for the North Florida region, the highest honor for Angel Flight Southeast pilots.

"Our pilots may be scheduled to fly a local patient to medical appointments any day of the week, sometimes being called to fly in the middle of the night," said Steve Purello, CEO of Angel Flight Southeast based in Leesburg in a written statement.

All Angel Flight pilots use their own aircraft and pay for their own fuel.

"Sometimes multiple flights are coordinated for both legs of the trip requiring precise timing with the pilots," Purello said. "We are able to help save many lives because of the dedication and generosity of these volunteers."

Gould, who has been flying for Angel Flight Southeast for nine years, flies a four-seat Beechcraft Baron and donates between 50 to 70 flights a year. He's met many good people along the way.

One 4-year-old boy sticks in his mind - a little boy who needed a liver and heart transplant. So weak he couldn't walk, Gould carried him while the boy's mother wrestled with all of his belongings.

"Amazingly, they're all happy," Gould said. "They're all very thankful for the service they get. They can't thank you enough when they get out of the plane and everything is so positive. I just appreciate the attitude. That's got to be, really, a tough thing to do."

Gould, along with two others from the region, will be honored in April at the Dr. Norris Pilot Awards Gala for Angel Flight Southeast in West Palm Beach.

Gould has also been nominated for the "Transplant Award," given to the pilot with the most number of transplant-related flights, and the "Above and Beyond" award, for pilots who assist with fundraising and non-flying volunteer efforts.

"I started, in the beginning, to do it because I like to fly and that gave me a purpose," Gould said. "And then the more I did it, I began to enjoy the people and their problems and how they deal with them. And it gives me a good feeling - I feel good at the end of the day when I've done something like that for somebody."

ONLINE

For more photos and video of Gould talking about his experiences with Angel Flight Southeast, visit pnj.com.

Pilots interested in flying for Angel Flight and patients wanting travel information can visit www.angelflight.com.

 

Online Auction
Neil Glazer of PilotMall.com has been incredible at procuring many cool auction for our event. This year we will have it online so Attendees can register and bid in advance, and those who cannot attend can even bid on these items! Watches, collectibles, hotel stays, jewelry, electronics, pilot bags and much more!

Aeroshell raffle
We will now be drawing the winner live on April 10 at the Pilot Awards Gala.

Get your tickets here

Helicopter Ball Drop
Volunteer Melissa counting 1,000 golf balls for the ball drop raffle


Helicopter ball drop 2

Get in on the action!
1 ball = $5
5 balls= $20
30 balls= $100

Enter here

Nice article 
Terry and Gladys Sartain have an emotional conversation with the Patient Cancer Navigator.

How hospital program helped uninsured cancer patient

Thursday, March 5, 2015
by Tom Lloyd

When Terry Sartain, 57, was diagnosed with cancer, he did not have health insurance, but according to his wife Gladys Sartain, he did have an angel watching over him. That angel's name is Sandra Webster, a registered nurse at the Scully-Welsh Cancer Center at Indian River Medical Center.

Webster, along with fellow registered nurse Denise Hudspath, are the two "patient navigators" at the IRMC oncology department charged helping people like the Sartains weave their way through the maze that Webster calls "the cancer care continuum." That's no mean feat. Just the word "cancer" can leave the strongest folks dazed, depressed and downright disoriented. Hudspath and Webster are tasked with tending to the financial, medical, emotional and even the logistical and travel needs of approximately 100 cancer patients at a time.

Tears welling up in her eyes - and occasionally slipping past a crumpled Kleenex in her hand to trickle down her cheeks - Gladys Sartain recounts her husband's story. "It started out," she says leaning forward, "he said he had a toothache. We went [someplace else] and they wouldn't see us because they said we owed them $200."

"I went to my doctor and she says your husband doesn't look too well, why don't you go to the hospital? So we came to the [IRMC] emergency room. There was a wonderful doctor there and . . . he told us, 'I'm not going to lie to you. I think it's cancer' but they didn't give up on Terry. If it wasn't for this hospital, my husband wouldn't be here now. I'm so thankful for this place."

Medically, with Webster's help, Terry Sartain was then seen by specialists in otolaryngology, (eyes, nose and throat), radiation oncology, medical oncology, pulmonology, cardiology, primary care and even a Miami surgeon who specializes in oncology of the head and neck.

Financially, Webster was able to get some help for the couple through a managed Medicaid plan. Lori McCormick, administrative director of the Scully-Welsh cancer center at IRMC, joins the conversation explaining, "We [then] had to find a cancer center that would take that plan and we did, but it's all the way down in Miami."

McCormick, who Gladys says "always called me back, even on her days off," joined the hospital last June and immediately made expansion of the cancer center's navigator program a high priority.

She, Webster and Hudspath rely heavily on the Vero community including, in this case, the Visiting Nurses Association, the local chapter of the American Cancer Society and others. "We couldn't do it alone," says McCormick.

The National Cancer Center says a cancer navigator's job is to coordinate a patient's various doctors' appointments. That's a check for Webster.

It says they maintain communication with patients, families and health care providers. That's a check, too.

It says they ensure that appropriate medical records are available at scheduled appointments. Check, again.

Next they say a navigator will help to find financial support. One more check.

Finally, according to the NCC, they help with arranging transportation and as of February 20, that check list is now complete. The trio of Webster, McCormick and Hudspath nailed down that final item last week.

With the help of Angel Flight Southeast, an organization operating out of Leesburg FL, Webster has arranged for Gladys and Terry Sartain to takeoff from Vero Beach's airport for a flight to Miami. Angel Flight's 650-plus volunteer pilots use their own aircraft, fuel and time to provide free flights to those who are financially distressed or physically unable to drive themselves to medical care facilities throughout the southeastern states. They make an average of 3,000 such flights a year and come Sunday, one more takeoff and landing will be in the books with a return flight yet to come.

Assuming surgery goes well, Webster will continue working with the Sartains during Terry's recovery and rehabilitation.

Help for patients through "navigator" programs is becoming more and more essential as the healthcare world becomes more and more complex. Here in Vero Beach, for example, Lin Reading, a breast cancer survivor and a certified patient navigator founded the non-profit, "Friends After Diagnosis. For five years," explains Reading, "we've been providing a forum for ongoing conversation and support as well as connecting survivors with community resources they might not otherwise encounter."

Within the walls of IRMC, a first-in-the-state-of-Florida heart patient navigator program was launched a few weeks ago. Working with the American College of Cardiology, IRMC's heart patient program provides many of the same services that McCormick's cancer navigators do helping patients find their way through the maze of doctors' appointments, tests and paperwork that now accompanies treatment for almost all serious diseases.

Meanwhile, the soft-spoken Terry Sartain holds tightly onto his wife's hand as he adds, "I'll just be happy when it's all over, but I'm very grateful for everyone and all the help I've gotten."

Gladys Sartain sums up her feelings in just five words. Looking directly at Webster and McCormick and the others in the room, she simply says, "God bless all of you."


Question, comments or concerns?
Contact us at (352) 326-0761
or email us at info@mercymail.org
 
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