Ira Blumen MD, FACEP
Program & Medical Director
Dr. Blumen has been involved in air medical transport since 1985 and has been UCAN’s program and medical director since 1987. Prior to that, he had been the medical director of the MedStar helicopter program at St. Mary of Nazareth Medical Center in Chicago.
Dr. Blumen is a frequent lecturer on a wide variety of topics. He is invited to speak at many regional and national conferences and has also traveled to Munich and Moscow to lecture. He has authored numerous articles and is the editor of the Air Medical Physician Handbook. Dr. Blumen served on the Board of Directors of AAMS (Association of Air Medical Services) and was a founding member, board member and past-president of the Air Medical Physician Association (AMPA).
Kelley Holdren RN, BSN
Interim Administrative Director/ Chief Flight Nurse
Kelley started her dream career with the UCAN crew in 2004. She brings her 8 years of both adult and pediatric critical care experience to the air. She has a particular intrest with trauma patients in which she and the rest of the UCAN team specializes
Mary Rey, has been a flight nurse with UCAN for over fourteen years in two tours of duty. Her nursing career at the University of Chicago Medical Center has spanned 35 years in a multitude of clinical areas: pediatrics, adult emergency department, pulmonary research, electrophysiology lab, post-anesthesia care unit and kidney and pancreas transplant. Mary is proud to be a Certified Flight Nurse (CFRN) and care for some of the most challenging patients brought to the University. She is Mom to three wonderful children, one great son-in-law, and Snickers the poodle.
Scott DeBoer RN,MSN,CEN,CPEN,CCRN,CFRN,EMT-P
Scott started with the UCAN program in 1993, but left us for a short time. He has now returned to UCAN part time. Prior to joining UCAN, Scott worked as a Flight Nurse with the Life Flight program in Peoria, IL and as a staff nurse in both the ER and ICUs of several area hospitals. Scott does a significant amount of national and international presenting on neonatal, pediatric, & “big people” emergency care through is company, Peds-R-Us Medical Education.
Communication Specialist
Steve Espinoza
Steve has been a Communication Specialist at UCAN since July 2007, having worked at Loyola Lifestar for seven years. He was also a firefighter/EMT-B for the Village of Stickney for eight years.
La Shaun has worked as a Police Officer and Fire Lieutenant in IL. La Shaun has been in the EMS Field for the last 6 year and the Fire Service for the last 5 years. La Shaun is currently EMT-B and Illinois State certified Firefighter II, Certified Flight Communication Specialist and EMS Lead Instructor.
Kim came to UCAN from an in-patient UCMC unit (6SE) in 2008. She graduated from the University of St. Francis with a degree in recreation administration. She works mostly afternoons and often resembles a Smurfette (she can explain). Don’t be alarmed, it’s just Kim!
Keith started at the Medical Center in 1981 and joined UCAN in 1990 after working in the department of adolescent child psychiatry. Keith is the father of an adult son.
Matt joined UCAN in 2009 and is happy to be working in the great city of Chicago! He caught the EMS bug while in college, and made the switch to EMS communications from a position in IT. He has been a National Registry EMT and Certified Flight Communication Specialist since 2006. Matt also serves as an industry advocate as the secretary/treasurer of the Illinois Association of Air & Critical Care Transport and is involved with the National Association of Air Medical Communication Specialists.
Helicopter Pilots
William Andreson
James Uthe
John Neilson
Clintion Pope
Clint started at UCAN in 1996, after flying the news/traffic helicopter for NBC, Fox TV, and others. He was an Army Aeroscout pilot before that, flying in Europe and southwest Asia, and in 2007 he retired from the Army after 35 years’ service.
Aviation Maintenance Technicians
Mark Schuster, Lead Maintenance Tech & Base Manager
Mark joined UCAN in June 2006, but was not a stranger to the UCAN helicopter. While working for his previous employer Helicopter Transport Services (HTS) – UCAN shared a hangar with them at Midway and then Clow Airport – Mark worked with Ray McCall (previous UCAN lead mechanic) and John on numerous occasions during various UCAN inspections. Mark has 14 years of helicopter maintenance experience and served as HTS’ Chief Inspector and mechanic.
John Collins
John began his aviation career with the Irish Air Corp and gathered 2 years experience on the military version of the Dauphin 2. He came to the US in 1988, and started with Omniflight Helicopters in Chicago after obtaining his A&P license. John joined UCAN in November, 1989 and has gained extensive knowledge on the Dauphin during his time with UCAN