“The new, larger ambulance will enhance our ability to provide family-centered care from the moment transport begins, with a safer location for parents to ride inside the patient-care compartment with the child,” said Mary Mehta, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Nemours Children’s Specialty Care.
PENSACOLA, Fla. (May 7, 2019) - The Northwest Florida region has a new lifesaving tool to transport sick and injured newborns and children throughout the Panhandle and beyond—a state-of-the-art, neonatal/pediatric critical care transport ambulance. To celebrate there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and tours of the ambulance outside of the West Florida Hospital Emergency Room.
"This ambulance represents a revolution in our ability to provide a rapid response to emergent calls for assistance from a wide variety of referring hospitals and clinics. In particular, it will allow us to provide comfort and life-saving medical care to children throughout Northwest Florida,” said Carlton Ulmer, President and Chief Executive Officer for West Florida Healthcare.
The neonatal/pediatric (NICU/PICU) transport team has specialized training and equipment to extend neonatal and pediatric medical care beyond the walls of the hospital. “The ambulance could be compared to a mobile ICU,” said Ulmer. “We are bringing the medical expertise and specialized equipment necessary to transport young patients safely and comfortably to and from hospitals and specialists.”
“The new, larger ambulance will enhance our ability to provide family-centered care from the moment transport begins, with a safer location for parents to ride inside the patient-care compartment with the child,” said Mary Mehta, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Nemours Children’s Specialty Care. "We want to support family-centered care from the moment we pick up the child," Mehta said. "It's important to allow a family member to ride along with the patient whenever possible, especially for young children."
This advanced emergency vehicle is stocked with lifesaving medical equipment specially designed for newborns, children and adolescents. Equipment includes transport isolettes for infants as well as supplies designed for pediatric patients such as ventilators, suction apparatus, IV infusion pumps and cardiorespiratory and pulse oximetry monitors.
The EMTs, paramedics, registered nurses, and respiratory therapists involved in the transport process combine into a team of highly trained associates who work closely with physicians at the individual hospitals and Nemours Children’s Specialty Care to ensure that patients receive the highest level of clinical care throughout the transport and care coordination process. From the moment a child is placed in the ambulance until they are transferred to a facility that specializes in the care they need, families of Northwest Florida can be assured that they will have access to an incredible level of care during transport.
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