Children’s Hospital at Erlanger introduces two new state-of-the-art critical care transport vehicles for neonatal and pediatric patients. These vehicles will provide Children’s Hospital at Erlanger with a full complement of both ground and air transport for high acuity pediatric patients in the region.
Serving a nearly 150-mile radius, these transport vehicles are designed to transport critically ill infants and children while offering the same level of care as a neonatal or pediatric intensive care unit (ICU).
“Having dedicated ambulances on the road that carry the brand of Children’s Hospital at Erlanger is essential to ensuring our community knows that we are dedicated to the specialized care of babies and children.
We are here to serve,” said Debbie Spielman, CEO of Children’s Hospital at Erlanger.
These custom-built vehicles are equipped with advanced respiratory support; therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic brain injury; arterial and intravenous line placement and monitoring; onboard bloodwork, lifesaving medications, and continuous drips; customized infant isolettes for fragile newborns; and real-time monitoring and interventions. Each transport includes a highly trained team of a pediatric registered nurse, a pediatric respiratory therapist, and sometimes a neonatologist or critical care nurse practitioner. In addition, parents of the patient can ride in a separate, safe crew cab, allowing them to stay close while their child receives care.
“For the past three years, our teams have been tirelessly working on this project, aiming to meet the needs of the region's most vulnerable patients,” said Robbie Tester, Erlanger vice president of Patient Logistics. “Our neonatal/pediatric mobile intensive care ambulances will be the first in Tennessee to be able to transport mother and baby in the same unit if needed.”
The addition of these vehicles to Children’s Hospital at Erlanger’s transport program was fully funded by the generous donations of the community. In addition to the vehicles’ custom buildouts, they also feature a custom, jungle-themed design to help kids feel more at ease. The design features friendly animals and lush greenery to transform an intimidating, clinical space into a child-friendly environment.
“Through the generosity of multiple six-figure contributions, along with numerous additional gifts from donors deeply connected to this critical need, we successfully achieved our $1.6 million fundraising goal,” said Stefanie Wittler-Beavers, Erlanger Foundation director of Major and Planned Giving. “This support will enable us to expand access to Erlanger’s highest level of pediatric care for more newborns and children in need.”