In recent decades, the focus on the transfer of critical care patients has been ‘in the air’—medical helicopters whisking patients to central, specialized hospitals. Now, Corewell Health is announcing a new pediatric patient transportation team that utilizes special new ambulances and highly trained pediatric specialists to save the lives of critically ill or injured young patients.
We learn more in a s statement from Corewell:
Corewell Health™ Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids is launching a new pediatric critical care ground transport program to better care for infants and children who are critically ill or injured.
Serving Michigan and surrounding states, this pediatric critical care transport team is extensively trained in pediatric critical care and transport medicine, which is often lacking in standard EMS. The team includes nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, respiratory therapists and a medical director.
Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this new program essentially offers a pediatric ICU on wheels with highly-trained clinicians who can provide rapid assessment and life-saving interventions, while safely transporting patients 0 to 18 years from referring hospitals to specialists at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. The team will be able to provide advanced airway support, critical access to administer medications and other emergency procedures for infants and children.
Two new state-of-the-art ambulances were purchased and designed to meet the unique needs of pediatric patients. One ambulance will be dedicated to the new pediatric critical care transport team, the other to the already-existing neonatal transport team, which exclusively serves newborns needing intensive care.
In 2024, the neonatal transport team completed 324 transports from 29 different hospitals. The pediatric critical care transport team expects to transport approximately 400 to 500 patients in its first year.
The ambulances will be staffed in partnership with Life EMS. Dedicated critical care paramedics will be working alongside Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital providers.
