Prisma Health Midlands Foundation funds $425,000 new critical care ambulance for Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Midlands
February 3, 2021
In August, Prisma Health Midlands Foundation launched the New Wheels for Precious Cargo campaign to fund a new, highly specialized critical care ambulance for the Prisma Health—Midlands Pediatric Transport team and Prisma Health Children’s Hospital—Midlands. Thanks to 96 donors, more than $425,000 was raised for a new, larger ambulance that will replace an aging vehicle.
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 will offer 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 will be equipped with safety features, life-saving medical equipment and a media system to help distract a child experiencing pain or anxiety.
“We are incredibly grateful to Prisma Health Midlands Foundation and all the generous donors who funded the new ambulance,” said Aaron Dix, executive director of Emergency Medical Services at Prisma Health. “Their generosity will help our team give critically ill babies and children the best chance at life.”
The new ambulance is in production now.
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.
