Leadership Spotlight: Maura Hughes, CEO, Boston MedFlight
As the CEO of Boston MedFlight, an organization that has historically struggled to be recognized as a nonprofit, Maura Hughes certainly knows what it takes to succeed.
Since beginning her tenure as Chief Financial Officer in 1998, Maura has worked tirelessly to improve Boston MedFlight’s investment in staff, safety, quality, and training while bringing awareness to the organization’s nonprofit status.
Maura’s historical perspective and deep understanding of the organization’s operations, challenges, and opportunities have provided her with unique insights, enabling her to identify and implement the work necessary to move the organization forward. Upon assuming her role as Chief Executive Officer in 2016, Maura set out to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones related to philanthropy in order to secure a financially stable future for Boston MedFlight. In addition, she set out to explore partnerships with other critical care transport organizations as well as other regional hospitals for consortium expansion.
Maura recognized that Boston MedFlight’s continuous growth since it’s inception in 1985 translated into the need for a new strategic direction in order to take advantage of opportunities in the market. With this in mind, she led the organization through a strategic planning project which culminated in early 2018. The process centered around the exploration of additional partnerships, expansion of bases, a deeper commitment to employees, and a focus on philanthropy to help move the organization’s vision forward, while continuously striving for the highest standards in quality and safety.
Under Maura’s leadership, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center joined an already impressive list of consortium members including: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Tufts Medical Center. Lahey was the first new consortium member to join since Boston MedFlight’s inception. In addition to expanding the consortium, the organization has invested in geographic expansion and facilities, as evidenced by the upcoming opening of a new base in Mansfield, Massachusetts and the building of a new hangar in Bedford, Massachusetts.
Maura’s multifaceted strategic approach positions the organization for long-term financial sustainability. By focusing on delivering high quality care and safety, investing in the organization and its people, and seeking opportunities for continued growth, Maura’s strategic vision makes it easy to see how Boston MedFlight is poised to continue being the gold standard in critical care transport.
Boston MedFlight:
Boston MedFlight was formed in 1985 as a nonprofit air transport service. Today, in conjunction with consortium hospitals, Boston MedFlight has evolved into a critical care transport system for patients throughout the region. Boston MedFlight commits to excellence in patient care by providing the highest-quality critical care transport system in the region.Their focus is on medicine, patient care, and providing the link between facilities that care for the most critical of patients. As part of their commitment to community outreach, Boston MedFlight collaborates with local officials, schools, and civic organizations to teach safety awareness in the community. Programs such as “Safely Awareness and Prevention” and “Patient Reunion” reflect the organization’s commitment to sharing their knowledge in an impactful manner and giving back to the communities they serve.