Akron Children's Hospital Transport Services and Air Bear

Akron Children's Hospital in Akron, Ohio runs its own transport team and transfer center. It is a hospital programme. The team moves very sick babies, children and burn patients to the hospital by ground ambulance or by the Air Bear helicopter.

Services

The team transports critically ill or injured newborns, infants and children. It also takes adult or child burn patients. Every critical care transport has a transport nurse, a paramedic and sometimes a respiratory therapist. A ground team for newborns and a two paramedic advanced life support team are also offered. A doctor stays in contact by phone during each transport.

Aircraft and ground units

Air Bear is described as Ohio's first pediatric dedicated helicopter. It is based at the Akron campus and operated by Med-Trans Corp. of Dallas, Texas. Each flight has a Med-Trans pilot with a nurse, a respiratory therapist and a paramedic from the hospital team. The hospital also owns and runs five mobile intensive care ground units. Four are at the Akron campus and one is at the Mahoning Valley Beeghly campus.

Coverage area

The helicopter brings patients from community hospitals across northern Ohio.

Facts

• Type: hospital programme of Akron Children's Hospital
• Helicopter operator: Med-Trans Corp.
• Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, as the site states
• Every unit is fitted out for children, with art, music and videos

The team

Transport nurses, paramedics and respiratory therapists need at least three years of critical care experience. The site lists training in pediatric and adult advanced life support, burn life support and newborn resuscitation. Hospitals can request a transfer through the transfer center.