One might say a career in the health industry will have its ups and downs.
That was quite literally true for Sherwin Bolks, who spent the last 42 years as a pilot for Sanford Health and retired in May.
For the first 28 of those years, Bolks flew on the air transport side, now Sanford AirMed, which put him among the longest serving medical transport pilots in the country. The remaining 14 years, he shifted to corporate aviation which included physician outreach to rural communities.
“I love flying,” Bolks told Sanford Health News during his last days before retirement. “No two takeoffs are the same and no two landings are the same.”
He came to Sanford Health in 1984 just a few years into the aviation program.
According to Randy Bury, who worked with Bolks as AirMed director in the late ‘80s and most recently retired as president and CEO of Good Samaritan, Bolks was instrumental in the earliest days to help build the health system’s aviation program.
“At the time, we made the decision to get our own Part 135 Operation Certificate which means we no longer used vendors and hired our own pilots, mechanics who bought the airplanes, and we brought everything in-house,” Bury explained. “It’s all of the things you have to have to show to the Federal Aviation Administration before they’ll give you a license.”
Sanford Health was among the first hospital systems in the nation to do that.
‘Cornerstone of the program’
Bury said Bolks wrote operating manuals and training manuals, and he developed a safety program.
“It wouldn’t have happened without Sherwin. He’s absolutely a cornerstone of the program,” Bury said. “Sherwin did a tremendous amount of work, and I’m always going to be grateful to him for that.”
Upon his last landing and taxi, Bolks received a celebratory water cannon salute from a local fire department. It is a tradition in aviation symbolizing and honoring a pilot’s final flight.
“That was pretty special and very cool,” Bolks said.
Colleagues, friends and family surprised him with a retirement reception at Maverick Air Center.
“To do a 42-year career with the same organization is not something you see often,” Sanford Aviation Vice President Mike Christianson said. “We really wanted to honor Sherwin and the commitment he made to Sanford.”
Christianson said he set a great example to the rest of the aviation team.
“We have a young group of pilots, and we have guys who’ve been around for more than 10 years,” Christianson said. “He really sets the example that this is a place you can work your full career.”
Learn more
- Longtime pilot, veteran takes final Sanford AirMed flight
- Roles in AirMed & senior care define a career in health
- Brotherhood of veterans serves at Sanford AirMed
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Posted In Company News, Emergency Medicine, People & Culture, Sanford Stories
