Angels of Flight
Canada was established in 1988 by Gail Courneyea, a critical care registered nurse at the
Peterborough Civic Hospital for 16 years. In 1986, Courneyea was asked to accompany a patient on an
air ambulance. She felt very uncomfortable during the 20-minute flight as she was working in a foreign environment and had a
fear of flying. Determined to overcome her fears, Courneyea received a certificate in aeromedical care and her private pilot's licence in the
United States in 1987. She founded Angels of Flight
Canada Inc. in 1988 since provincial health insurance does not cover travel outside a province, and no employment as a
flight nurse existed in
Canada at the time.
Air medical transport Since its inception, Angels of Flight
Canada has employed aeromedical trained
RNs,
paramedics and
physicians and has successfully transported thousands of patients on private and commercial planes. In January 2010, Global Angel and Angels of Flight Canada assisted
Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) and other medical relief organizations mobilize their teams to earthquake-stricken Haiti.
Medical tourism In November 2010, the Angels Global Healthcare division was started to meet the needs of an increasing number of patients seeking private and global healthcare options. Angels Global Healthcare representatives attended the 3rd World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress in Los Angeles in September 2010. In December 2010, Angels Global Healthcare was certified by the
Medical Tourism Association as a
medical tourism facilitator company. ==Awards and certification==