New critical care ambulance rolls in at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Midlands
November 16, 2021A new, highly specialized critical care ambulance rolled in to Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Midlands today, thanks to more than $430,000 in funding from 96 donors through Prisma Health Midlands Foundation. The new ambulance was dedicated and blessed today by donors, a grateful patient and team members from Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Transport and the Midlands Foundation.
Last year, the Midlands Foundation launched the New Wheels for Precious Cargo campaign to fund the new critical care ambulance for the Prisma Health—Midlands Pediatric Transport team and Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Midlands. The new, larger ambulance replaces an aging vehicle.
“Today, we’re celebrating the new ambulance and the generosity of the donors who helped us fund it,” said Aaron Dix, executive director of Emergency Medical Services at Prisma Health. “Thanks to Prisma Health Midlands Foundation and 96 donors, the new ambulance will help us give critically ill babies and children the best chance at life.”
When babies are critically premature or when children are severely ill and at another hospital within a 16-county region of S.C., the Pediatric Transport team at Prisma Health—Midlands is called, no matter what time of day. Within minutes, the specialized care team travels to the child’s location in the critical care ambulance to provide stabilization and safe transportation to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Columbia. Prisma Health—Midlands takes pride in providing the highest-level neonatal care available in the region, with Level III NICUs at Prisma Health Baptist Hospital and Prisma Health Richland Hospital. The NICU at Richland serves as the Regional Perinatal Center, and Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Midlands has the only PICU in our region. The Prisma Health Pediatric Transport team also takes children who need heart surgery to MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in Charleston and children with severe burns to JMS Burn Center in Augusta. More than 600 critically ill children are transported each year. The new ambulance offers enough space to transport premature twins, along with a critical care nurse and respiratory therapist dedicated to each baby. Designed with children in mind, the ambulance is equipped with safety features, life-saving medical equipment and a media system to help distract a child experiencing pain or anxiety.
About Prisma Health Midlands Foundation
Prisma Health Midlands Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, engages community partners to enhance health care for patients and families served by Prisma Health—Midlands. For more information, visit PrismaHealthMidlandsFoundation.org.