This International Women’s Day we are celebrating the incredible women working on the front line of LifeFlight’s aeromedical service.
Meet flight nurses Renee and Christi, and critical care doctor Carly. They are a vital part of our clinical teams, helping us deliver lifesaving care to our patients across Queensland and beyond.
They all share a deep love for their work and are proud to look after patients during their toughest times.
Renee Bolot, Flight Nurse & Medical Operations ManagerÂ
Renee has been a Flight Nurse on board our Brisbane-based helicopter for over 10 years. She has been an integral part of the team, witnessing the growth of our Brisbane Base’s operations and was there for big milestones including bringing in our very first AW139 helicopter.
Renee knew she wanted to be a nurse from a young age. “When I was 13, I broke my leg. Whilst I was on the ward, I had this fabulous nurse looking after me. I was so scared, and she was there every day looking after me. I knew straight away that I wanted to be a nurse,” Renee says.
After 7 years working in hospitals, the high pace of the Emergency Department was starting to lose its appeal. “I was looking for a new adventure. Something where both Emergency and ICU nursing were combined,” Renee says.
When Renee heard that LifeFlight was opening a new base in Brisbane, she moved on from saving lives on the ground to saving lives in the air. “I love the team at Brisbane Base, it is such a unique work environment with pilots, doctors and engineers. “We all work together to achieve the same goal: serving our community and providing the best patient care no matter where you are in Queensland.” Renee says
Since then, she has also taken on the role of Medical Operations Manager, where she is responsible for managing medical operations, including contractual requirements, compliance, and operational coordination.
Christi Arbon, Flight Nurse (Air Ambulance Jets)
Christi made her dream of combining work and travel a reality by joining our air ambulance jets as a flight nurse. She always knew nursing was her calling. “I did some voluntary ambulance work before I started my nursing degree and fell in love with the idea of having the skills and knowledge to be able to help someone in a state of crisis,” she said.
Over the last three years on board LifeFlight’s Challenger 604 jets, she has helped provide excellent patient care at 41,000 feet, working both domestically and internationally. “I love flying and it’s just a perfect combination of adventure and the medical world coming together so it really suits me. I like that one minute I can be flying to Cairns or Longreach and the next day it could be Fiji. It’s very exciting and exposes me to a lot of different people and a lot of different patients as well.”
One of her most memorable missions to date was retrieving a patient from Vava’u, Tonga. “There was difficulty for that patient getting retrieved. We met him on day eight after he’d fractured his femur and he was so grateful to see us, it was quite emotional. He hadn’t received optimal care so it was very powerful to see how much trust, faith and relief the patient and family had in us to help them get back to Australia to get the surgery he needed,” Christi says.
Dr Carly Silvester, Critical Care Doctor & Medical Coordination Consultant
Dr Carly wears many hats across our clinical departments. She supports LifeFlight’s maritime tele-medical service, taking calls at any hour to advise crews facing life-threatening medical situations far from shore. She has coached ship captains through suturing injuries, stabilising critically injured sailors via phone and video, and provided guidance for situations where help was hours or even days away. She helps manage LifeFlight’s international jet repatriation mission as a medical coordinator for our air ambulance fleet and also works as a critical care doctor out of our Sunshine Coast base, flying into emergencies across the state.
“It’s the best job!” She says it’s rewarding to serve the community with the skills and training she’s acquired throughout her career. “I believe in equity of health care, and LifeFlight is a key part of providing access to expert critical care in Queensland.”
Learn more about how Dr Carly juggles her many roles with her busy family life here.
We’re incredibly proud of the women who dedicate themselves to giving LifeFlight’s patients the best possible care. To learn more about clinical careers at LifeFlight, visit: Clinical Careers – LifeFlight
