Advance Praise

Barbara Barrett

25th United States Secretary of the Air Force

“Like Joan, I encourage young people to pursue their dreams and consider lives of service. One Life Lost, Millions Gained inspires me and will surely inspire future generations of business and medical professionals.”

Roy Herberger, PhD

President Emeritus Thunderbird School of Global Management

“Once in a while you come across a story of personal success that is accompanied by ambition, hard work, and a measure of good luck along the way. Certainly, One Life Lost, Millions Gained, is such a story. However, there is so much more to the journey of Joan Sullivan Garrett and her creation of MedAire. The reader will be entertained by the dynamics of the transportation industry learning how to save customer lives and how to reduce the risks of doing business internationally over land, sea, and the air. All of this from an intelligent woman who saw a need and then built a company to make this service work. This is a story that cases in entrepreneurship will be written about in our colleges and universities. Joan’s life as a wife, a mother, and a bread winner suggests that she mastered a way to warp time! Finally, a reader will be introduced to the sometimes vicious world of global competition as Joan’s MedAire becomes a dominant force in Telemedicine.”

Ed Bolen

President and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association

“Joan is an absolute giant in the field of aviation. By celebrating her amazing story we can inspire others to break through boundaries, chase their dreams, and change the world for the better.”

Michael Quiello

Vice President Avelo Airlines, Chair of the Board of Trustees National Aviation Hall of Fame, and former Vice President United Airlines

“Joan’s journey is certainly worth reading and will inspire many. She had the courage to take a calculated leap of faith and the fortitude to persevere as a pioneer in a brand new industry. People believed in her vision and supported her quest because she exemplified transformational leadership — the ability to identify, influence, and implement.”

Wilson Leach

Founding Publisher of Aviation International News

“Those of us in the industry who know Joan so well are thrilled that she is documenting her incredible career in aviation, in general, and her specific achievements in building MedAire into the successful world-class, global medical enterprise it is today. Joan is an entrepreneur extraordinaire who never looked back once she started on her mission of helping the medical profession save lives in the aviation world. It is a great story that needed to be told — I loved reading it.”

Laurent Sabourin

Group Managing Director, International SOS

“Joan has written a historical and personal account of how she founded and built MedAire, which today is a subsidiary of International SOS. It’s a rare story, quite gripping, and shares lessons that can benefit entrepreneurs, senior executives, and corporate leaders today.”

Don Short

Presidential Pilot to Lyndon B. Johnson and Director and Chief Pilot of Corporate Air Transportation, Northrop Corporation

“What a powerful story! We are all safer in the air, on land, and at sea because of Joan Sullivan Garrett, a pioneer in telemedicine.”

Michael Herman

Pilot and board member of the San Diego Air and Space Museum

“Were it not for this book, I would have never known how beautifully Joan writes, let alone the hardships she endured in her youth that might have steered her off course. Her huge heart kept her on track to quietly achieve a global safety net that most travelers don’t know about until it saves their lives. Many thanks to this inventor and entrepreneur for doing the impossible.”

Bill Mahaffy

Ship Captain and Vascular Surgery Physician Assistant

“I’m glad that Joan delved into the importance of remote medicine at sea in this book. She takes a close look at the hazards faced by crews aboard yachts and commercial vessels — a glimpse at life and death of which few are aware.”

Robert Baron MD

MedLink Emergency Physician, Board Certified in Emergency and Internal Medicine

“I watched Joan pioneer a worldwide telemedicine service and experienced firsthand her remarkable role as a medical professional and visionary. She has it all — courage, personality, and the unique ability to inspire trust and confidence. What an inspiration for women everywhere, as well as business leaders, medical professionals, and those who serve within the aviation and maritime sectors.”

S. Harry Robertson

Founder, Robertson Fuel Systems, LLC – HEICO and Enshrinee in the National Aviation Hall of Fame

“Since 1985 MedAire’s core mission has been to protect and save lives. Through MedLink, our “911 in the sky,” on-demand medical assistance became available for airline passengers and crews, business and general aviation, and luxury yachts. This book is the story of Joan Sullivan Garrett’s vision, hard work and leadership making MedAire the global provider of 24/7 medical assistance.”

Patty Campbell RN MSN ANP ENP

Nurse Practitioner and former flight nurse

“You’ll enjoy reading about Joan’s visionary and entrepreneurial spirit which lead to the creation of an extraordinary company — MedAire/MedLink. This company provides emergency care, equipment, and training to aviation, maritime, and remote clients worldwide. As a result, Joan has had many adventures all over the world, which are included in this delightful book.”

Available Now!

One Life Lost, Millions Gained

The Story of a Flight Nurse Turned MedAire CEO

As a flight nurse, all Joan ever wanted to do is save lives. In 1984, the loss of a young patient in the remote mountains of Arizona compelled her to pioneer global telemedicine — quite a feat in those days. As an unlikely CEO, Joan found a way to connect ground-based emergency physicians to flight crews from anywhere in the world — a safety net for you, the traveler, during medical emergencies. This entrepreneurial story shares the passion and sacrifice required to build a legacy, which continues today through the international company Joan envisioned and her numerous industry awards and honors.