By Scott Turner
al.com
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children has placed a new Kids Care Critical Care Transport ambulance into service, replacing a high-mileage, end-of-life unit to ensure infants and children across North Alabama remain connected to the region鈥檚 highest level of pediatric and neonatal care.
Each year, the Kids Care team transports more than 700 critically ill infants and children from hospitals across North Alabama and southern Tennessee to HHW&C. The program is a key part of Huntsville Hospital Health System鈥檚 coordinated approach to care, linking hospitals across the system with specialized teams, equipment and services not available in every community.
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The transport ambulance functions as an 鈥渋ntensive care unit on wheels,鈥� allowing interventions to begin at the bedside and continue throughout transport. The unit serves patients from 22 weeks鈥� gestation through age 21, with onboard capabilities including ventilator management, CPAP and BiPAP, carbon dioxide monitoring, high-frequency ventilation and hypothermia management.
鈥淭his is about making sure every child in our region can reach the level of care they need, when they need it,鈥� said Elizabeth Sanders, vice president of Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. 鈥淥ur KidsCare team brings that expertise to the patient, then safely transports them to our hospital, where the full resources of our system are ready. 鈥�
The new ambulance was made possible through a major grant from The Caring Foundation and BlueCross and Blue Shield of Alabama, with additional support from Huntsville Hospital Foundation donors through the 2024 Huntsville Classic.
鈥淚nvesting in the health of our communities means supporting the moments that matter most,鈥� said Sophie Martin , director of Corporate Communications and Community Relations, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama . 鈥淭hrough The Caring Foundation , we are proud to support Kids Care and help strengthen access to pediatric services across North Alabama.鈥�
The new Kids Care 2 unit replaces the hospital鈥檚 previous KC2 ambulance, made possible by Huntsville Hospital Foundation donors in 2019. It joins Kids Care 1, with both units operating 24/7 and traveling more than 100,000 miles annually.
That level of use reflects both the growth of the region and the need for reliable, up-to-date equipment, officials said. The Kids Care program launched in 2003 through philanthropic support, when a group of local grandfathers came together to fund the hospital鈥檚 first pediatric transport ambulance.
Their goal was to help 100 children that year. Since then, more than 11,230 children have been transported to HHW&C for advanced care.
鈥淕ifts like this change what鈥檚 possible for families in our community,鈥� said HHF President Sarah Savage-Jones. 鈥淚n the moments when everything feels uncertain, this ambulance helps ensure children can get to the right place, with the right team, without delay. We are incredibly grateful for Blue Cross, The Caring Foundation and our generous Foundation donors for making that possible.鈥�
The Kids Care fleet is part of the comprehensive services offered at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children.
The hospital serves nearly 200 children each day across its specialty outpatient clinics, pediatric inpatient units and pediatric emergency department.
HHW&C is the hub for pediatric specialty care in North Alabama, including the region鈥檚 only Pediatric ICU, Pediatric Emergency Department, Level III Neonatal ICU, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Endocrinology and more.
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