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Joan Sullivan Garrett


  • Became a critical-care registered flight nurse and Chief Medical Officer and wanted to improve the way professionals responded to remote emergencies to help save more lives.
  • Created MedAire, a service dedicated to providing aviation and maritime sectors with travel risk mitigation solutions, in 1985.
  • Called for having better medical supplies onboard and a higher standard of first responder training. As a result, she exponentially improved the standard of care and overall safety of crew and passengers.
  • Formed MedLink in 1987 and was dubbed the “911 of the sky” as it provides the flight crew with the ability to contact ground-based medical assistance who will then connect them to emergency room physicians.
  • Has written a number of white papers relating to medical and health subjects, is a world-renowned expert in aviation medical health and safety, and has consulted with government agencies and airlines such as British Airways and The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
  • Testified in front of Congress in 2001 which caused the Federal Aviation Administration’s final ruling requiring U.S. airlines to carry automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and enhanced emergency medical kits on all domestic and international flights.
  • Awarded the Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Aviation Meritorious Service Award in 1997, the Spirit of Enterprise Award from Arizona State University in 2007, and was named Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001. In 2017, Garrett received the National Business Aviation Association’s prestigious Meritorious Award and the International Aviation Women’s Association Woman of Excellence Award for her significant contributions to the industry.

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