Joan Sullivan Garrett (born August 2, 1949)[1][2] is a former critical care flight nurse,[3] and American business executive who founded MedAire, Inc. in 1985 and its service arm, MedLink, in 1987.

[6][1] Sullivan Garrett became a flight nurse with Air Evac, an air ambulance company at Banner Health, a trauma center then known as Samaritan Hospital System in Phoenix, Arizona, served as Director of Flight Personnel, and founded a paramedic training program.

[8][9] The boy's death inspired Sullivan Garrett to find a way to improve the outcomes of remote medical emergencies.

[10][11] As MedAire's founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Sullivan Garrett first provided a new and improved version of medical kits to the aviation and maritime industries.

She responded to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1985 with a design for a proper medical kit and trained crews in first aid response.