MD ONBOARD Launches World’s First Dedicated Inflight Pediatric Emergency Medical Service

NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2026 — MD ONBOARD, a Northwell Health company and leader in aviation health and safety solutions, today announced the launch of a pediatric emergency medical advisory service for passenger gate screening and inflight medical events. Via our next generation two-way video platform, this first-of-its-kind service offers 24/7 access to board-certified pediatric emergency physicians who provide medical advice directly related to children.

While general emergency physicians provide an excellent level of support for medical events on ground and inflight, when children are involved, specialist pediatric ER doctors provide a higher level of expert advice to crew and operators, delivering parents a gold standard level of support.

This expands MD ONBOARD’s healthcare-led model by introducing specialist support directly into the medical event when needed. Published research indicates that children account for approximately 9% to 12% of reported inflight medical emergencies; one large study identified children in 10.7% of more than 114,000 inflight medical events.

“Children are not simply smaller adults, particularly in an emergency and especially within the constraints of an aircraft cabin,” said Grant Jeffery, Chief Executive Officer of MD ONBOARD. “Introducing dedicated pediatric emergency medicine expertise into the inflight environment represents an important advancement in aviation medical care. By offering this service, we are creating a more precise, specialist-led model — connecting the right clinical expertise, technology and operational context to every case in real time.”

Specialist Pediatric Expertise

Inflight medical events involving children can be especially challenging for crews. Symptoms may present differently from those seen in adults; normal vital-sign ranges vary significantly with age; and medication selection and dosing require pediatric-specific consideration. Through this service, qualifying cases involving children will be supported by physicians who are board certified in both general pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine, with extensive telehealth experience.

The service will be led by Dr. Matthew Harris, Medical Director, and Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services physician at Northwell Health. Dr. Harris is fellowship-trained and triple-board-certified in general pediatrics, pediatric emergency medicine and emergency medical services. His experience spans pediatric prehospital care, interfacility transport, aeromedical rescue, EMS and pediatric virtual health.

“The aircraft cabin is a uniquely demanding environment, but it is also one where specialist pediatric guidance can make an immediate difference,” said Dr. Harris. “The specialist team is proud to work with MD ONBOARD to extend pediatric emergency expertise beyond the hospital and support excellence in the care of children—even at altitude.”
The integration further strengthens MD ONBOARD’s position at the intersection of healthcare, aviation and technology. Backed by Northwell Health’s clinical ecosystem and telehealth experience, MD ONBOARD is advancing a more connected and specialized aviation medical model designed around the operational realities of flight.

About MD ONBOARD
MD ONBOARD is a leader in aviation medical and security advisory solutions, dedicated to enhancing inflight safety for both commercial and business aviation worldwide. Through MD ONBOARD’s proprietary next-generation platform, an award-winning team of aviation-trained paramedics and emergency physicians provide real-time remote advice. MD ONBOARD also provides state-of-the-art diagnostics, and comprehensive training to equip crew members with the information needed to manage inflight medical emergencies. With a commitment to quality and innovation, MD ONBOARD, a fully owned subsidiary of Northwell Health, one of the foremost health systems in the U.S., partners with airlines, aviation organizations and industry partners to improve passenger safety and crew readiness globally. For more information, visit https://mdonboard.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn.

Media Contact
Sandy Dell
Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
sandy.dell@mdonboard.com

About the Pediatric Emergency Telehealth Service
Northwell Health’s Pediatric Emergency Telehealth Service supports the remote assessment and treatment of children requiring emergency care. Physicians are board certified in general pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine and bring specialist pediatric expertise and extensive telehealth experience to remote clinical environments.