Henry Ford Health unveils specialized pediatric ambulance in Detroit
Families across Southeast Michigan now have access to a specialized ambulance designed specifically for babies and children in need of critical medical transport.
Henry Ford Health and Medstar unveiled the new pediatric ambulance on Monday at Henry Ford St. John's Children's Hospital in Detroit.
Leaders say the vehicle is equipped with pediatric-specific medical equipment and staffed by highly trained providers capable of caring for infants, children, and teens during transport.
Dr. Uzma Shah, system chair for pediatrics at Henry Ford Health and medical director of the pediatric service line, said the project has been more than a year in the making.
The ambulance is designed to connect children with specialized care as quickly and safely as possible, whether they are being transferred from an emergency department to a pediatric hospital, intensive care unit, or another level of care.
"Pediatric ambulances are very different from general ambulances because these are staffed by individuals who know exactly how to train, how to treat pediatrics or children, zero to 18 years of age," Shah said.
Inside the vehicle, medical equipment is tailored to children rather than adults. The ambulance includes specialized heart-monitoring equipment, advanced ventilators, pediatric airway tools and equipment designed for newborns and critically ill children.
Medstar President and CEO Kolby Miller said the goal is to bring specialized pediatric care directly to the child's bedside before they even arrive at the hospital.
"Historically, we've gone with a regular ambulance to wherever the kid is and then brought them to a specialty hospital," Miller said. "Now we can extend that care. So the specialty care for the child is now starting at the sending location, rather than waiting until the destination."
The ambulance will initially operate as a single unit serving communities across Southeast Michigan. Miller said additional units could be added in the future as demand grows.
The transport team is made up of experienced critical care paramedics who have received additional pediatric and neonatal training.
"The paramedics that volunteered to be part of the team were critical care trained paramedics already, and then we sent them for two-week training in Baltimore for pediatric and neonatal patients," Miller said.
Henry Ford St. John's Children's Hospital is also a trauma center, making rapid transport especially important for some patients.
"We also see children who really require immediate care or very urgent care and quick transport by a team that is able to manage those very sick children during the transport process as well," Shah said.
Hospital leaders say the ambulance is another step in expanding pediatric services and ensuring children receive the specialized care they need from the moment they enter the healthcare system.
