LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Baptist Health is rolling out two new ambulances to help save the lives of the most critical patients. The state-of-the-art critical care ambulance is the first of its kind in the state of Arkansas.
Doors secured and sirens on, a new kind of ambulance is hitting the streets of the natural state to care for critical patients.
“From heart attacks or chronic heart disease to lung failure and people that have severe trauma,” Baptist Health Transplant Institute Program Director Dr. John Ransom said.
Dr. Ransom said this ambulance takes everything you’d find in an ICU and puts it on the road.
“In this ambulance, we can use ECMO, which is a system that fully supports heart or lung function. We can use impellas that assist the heart and ventilators which breathes for people and all that at the same time,” Dr. Ransom said.
It’s not just the equipment but who is sitting in the back taking care of the patient. This transports four health care professionals including a physician, a perfusionist to run the pump, an assistant to them and an ICU nurse.
“We can change medications,” Dr. Ransom said. “We can change the flow of the device as we move along and whatever is necessary can be done during that transport period.”
He said this ambulance helps stop the clock until they can get the patient to the hospital.
“It allows us to go out anywhere in the state and bring people to this center where we can provide the services that can’t be provided otherwise,” Dr. Ransom said.
It raises the level of care for all Arkansans.
“We will be able to save a lot of lives around the state,” Dr. Ransom said.
The Windgate Charitable Foundation and Trinity Foundation donated $175,000 to buy the ambulances.