Life Link III
Life Link III is a nonprofit air medical transport consortium that provides helicopter and fixed wing emergency medical services across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, owned jointly by nine healthcare systems and operating 11 helicopter bases plus one fixed wing aircraft.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Life Link III does
Life Link III is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) air medical transport company (legal name Critical Care Services, Inc.) founded in 1985 and headquartered in Shoreview, Minnesota, with a Communications and Operations Control Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. The organization provides rotor wing (helicopter) and fixed wing (airplane) emergency medical transportation for critically ill and injured patients, completing over 2,000 transports annually across Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and the broader United States. Its clinical capabilities include point-of-care testing, advanced life support, ECMO transport, and specialty pediatric and neonatal transport, with all bases maintaining CAMTS accreditation.
The company's defining structural feature is its nonprofit consortium ownership: nine major healthcare systems (Allina Health, CentraCare, Children's Minnesota, Essentia Health, Fairview, Regions Hospital/HealthPartners, Hennepin Healthcare, Marshfield Clinic, Aspirus St. Luke's, and HSHS) hold equal board representation and share the cost of air medical transport rather than each operating independent aircraft programs. The company operates 11 helicopter bases across Minnesota and Wisconsin, one fixed wing Pilatus PC-12 out of Blaine, MN, and is adding a 12th base at Duluth International Airport under a 15-year lease, with construction in 2025 and expected completion in late 2025 or early 2026.
Revenue mechanics are fee-for-service billed through insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, and member health system arrangements, supplemented by philanthropy and community fundraising. Distribution runs through three channels: 911 and first responder dispatch, hospital-to-hospital transfer requests, and the proprietary OneLink mobile app used by hospitals and first responders to directly request aircraft. Go-to-market is sales-led and B2B, targeting healthcare systems, EMS agencies, and emergency services rather than end consumers.
Life Link III firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Life Link III
- Legal name
- Critical Care Services, Inc.
- Website
- https://lifelinkiii.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Life Link III is a nonprofit air medical transport consortium that provides helicopter and fixed wing emergency medical services across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, owned jointly by nine healthcare systems and operating 11 helicopter bases plus one fixed wing aircraft.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Life Link III industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Air Medical Transport Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Ambulance Services (62191), Air Transportation (481)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing) (HLAFANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Medical Air Transport (Air Ambulance/Patient Transfer) (TLAFABAG), Critical Care Transport (CCT) & Specialty Transport Teams (HLAFANAE), Interfacility Transport (IFT) & Patient Transfer Services (HLAFANAF)
Keywords
Where Life Link III is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices15 records
Markets served
Life Link III business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Air Medical Transport Services: Fee-for-service emergency medical transportation for patients requiring critical care transport via helicopter or airplane. Services include on-scene emergency response and inter-facility transportation. The nonprofit consortium model allows member healthcare organizations to share costs rather than operating their own aircraft.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Life Link III product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Life Link III provides emergency air medical transport services for critically ill and injured patients using rotor-wing helicopters from eleven bases across Minnesota and Wisconsin and a Pilatus PC-12 fixed-wing aircraft for longer-distance and specialty transports such as ECMO. Services are delivered 24/7/365 through 911 dispatch, hospital transfer requests, EMS and first-responder coordination, and the proprietary OneLink mobile app.
Product overview
Life Link III is an air medical transport company operating as a nonprofit consortium of nine healthcare organizations. The company provides emergency medical transportation services through two primary transport modes: rotor wing (helicopter) and fixed wing (airplane) aircraft from eleven bases across Minnesota and Wisconsin. The service portfolio includes core air medical transport services, clinical services with advanced point-of-care capabilities, a 24/7 Communication Center & Operations Control Center for dispatch coordination, and the proprietary OneLink Mobile App for hospitals and first responders to request transport. The company completes over 2,000 patient transports annually and has maintained CAMTS accreditation since 2007.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Air Medical Transport Services Emergency air medical transportation for critically ill or injured patients in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and throughout the United States, including on-scene emergency response and inter-facility transportation by helicopter and airplane ambulance.
- Rotor Wing Services Helicopter-based emergency medical transport services operating from eleven bases across Minnesota and Wisconsin, delivering rapid-response air ambulance for on-scene emergencies and inter-facility transfers.
- Fixed Wing Services Airplane ambulance services for longer-distance patient transports, operated out of the Blaine, Minnesota base using a Pilatus PC-12 aircraft and configured to support specialty transports such as ECMO patients.
- Clinical Services Advanced clinical capabilities integrated into air medical transport, including point-of-care testing, LUCAS chest compression device support, and innovative clinical technology that allows clinicians to provide the highest level of patient care during transport.
- Communication Center & Operations Control Center 24/7 Communication Center and Operations Control Center that dispatches aircraft and coordinates with other air medical transport services to ensure the most appropriate aircraft is deployed for each transport request, providing real-time support for medical transport operations.
- OneLink Mobile App Mobile application that connects a user's mobile device, tablet or desktop directly to the Life Link III Communication Center to request aircraft transport; available to hospitals and first responders with support via [email protected].
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2,000 patient transports completed annually
Companies that use Life Link III
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Life Link III technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Life Link III partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Duluth Airport Authority (DAA)core15-year lease agreement for new base location at Duluth International Airport. Includes construction of modern hangar facility purpose-built for both rotor wing and fixed wing aircraft operations with indoor patient transfer capabilities. Construction scheduled to begin 2025, completion expected late 2025 or early 2026.
- Allina HealthcoreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors. Consortium model allows cost-effective sharing of air medical transport services.
- CentraCare HealthcoreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors.
- Children's MinnesotacoreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors.
- Essentia HealthcoreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors. Essentia Health and Aspirus St. Luke's noted for collaboration supporting the Duluth International Airport base initiative.
- Fairview Health ServicescoreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors.
- Regions Hospital / HealthPartnerscoreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors.
- Hennepin HealthcarecoreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors.
- Marshfield Clinic Health SystemcoreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors.
- Aspirus St. Luke'scoreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors. Aspirus St. Luke's noted for collaboration supporting the Duluth International Airport base initiative.
- Hospital Sisters Health Systems (HSHS)coreOne of nine nonprofit consortium member healthcare organizations with equal representation on Life Link III Board of Directors.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Life Link III competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Air Methods (Global Medical Response): Largest US air medical transport operator, now part of Global Medical Response. Directly comparable rotor wing and fixed wing air ambulance services across a national footprint, serving hospitals and EMS systems with similar clinical and dispatch capabilities.
Direct peers
- PHI Air Medical: National air medical transport provider offering rotor wing and fixed wing services to hospitals and EMS. Closely comparable business model, fleet composition, and clinical scope to Life Link III, including CAMTS-accredited operations.
- Med-Trans Corporation: Air medical transport company partnering with health systems and hospitals to provide rotor wing and fixed wing services. Highly comparable consortium/hospital-partnership model and clinical service scope.
- Boston MedFlight: Nonprofit critical care transport program providing rotor wing, fixed wing, and ground critical care services in the Northeast. Closely analogous nonprofit consortium model and CAMTS-accredited clinical capability mix to Life Link III.
- REACH Air Medical Services: Air ambulance operator (now part of Global Medical Response) providing helicopter and airplane medical transport across the Western US. Comparable rotor wing/fixed wing service mix and hospital-EMS dispatch model.
- LifeFlight Network: Nonprofit air medical transport serving the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West with rotor wing and fixed wing services. Similar nonprofit hospital-affiliated structure and comparable clinical scope.
- CalSTAR (California Shock Trauma Air Rescue): Nonprofit air ambulance provider serving California and northern Nevada. Comparable rotor wing and fixed wing EMS model with similar hospital-partnership driven operating structure.
Regional players
- North Memorial Health Air Care: Minnesota-based helicopter EMS program directly overlapping Life Link III's primary service area. Comparable rotor wing air ambulance service model and patient population in the Twin Cities and surrounding region.
- Mayo Clinic Medical Transport: Operates rotor wing and ground ambulance services in the Mayo Clinic system, including the Mayo One helicopter program. Overlaps with Life Link III's Minnesota service area and serves similar inter-facility and scene response needs.
Others
- Children's Minnesota Neonatal/Pediatric Transport: Pediatric specialty transport program affiliated with a Life Link III consortium member. Adjacent ecosystem player that leverages Life Link III aircraft for high-acuity pediatric and NICU transports, providing partnership-level rather than direct competitive overlap.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Life Link III social profiles
Digital presenceLife Link III compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Life Link III financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Life Link III leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Life Link III funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Life Link III M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Life Link III
What does Life Link III do?
Life Link III provides emergency air medical transport services for critically ill and injured patients using rotor-wing helicopters from eleven bases across Minnesota and Wisconsin and a Pilatus PC-12 fixed-wing aircraft for longer-distance and specialty transports such as ECMO. Services are delivered 24/7/365 through 911 dispatch, hospital transfer requests, EMS and first-responder coordination, and the proprietary OneLink mobile app.
Is Life Link III a public or private company?
Life Link III is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Life Link III founded?
Life Link III was founded in 1985. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Life Link III based?
Life Link III is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Life Link III make money?
One revenue line is on record: air Medical Transport Services.
Who are Life Link III's main competitors?
Air Methods (Global Medical Response) is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are PHI Air Medical, Med-Trans Corporation, Boston MedFlight, REACH Air Medical Services, LifeFlight Network and CalSTAR (California Shock Trauma Air Rescue). Regional players are North Memorial Health Air Care and Mayo Clinic Medical Transport. Children's Minnesota Neonatal/Pediatric Transport is listed as an others.
Does Life Link III have an API?
No public API is recorded for Life Link III.
What industry is Life Link III in?
Life Link III's product category is Air Medical Transport Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFANAD, Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing), with a secondary code of TLAFABAG, Medical Air Transport (Air Ambulance/Patient Transfer). Its NAICS code is 4812 and its SIC code is 4522.