By Edmond Ortiz
Methodist Healthcare held a March 30 ribbon cutting to launch the Methodist Healthcare Critical Care and Specialty Teams, a medical transport service line devoted to providing comprehensive care during internal and interfacility transfers.
What you should know
According to a press release, the new service includes four critical care ambulances, ground or air transport when appropriate, and paramedic and nurse crews trained to care for critically ill or injured patients during transfer.
Such teams, Methodist Healthcare representatives said, are especially trained and equipped to handle heart alerts, stroke alerts, sepsis alerts, ECMO transports and major trauma.
According to the release, Critical Care and Specialty Teams program is not a 9‑1‑1 service, and concentrates on interfacility transfers to higher‑acuity care.
This, Methodist Healthcare representatives added, reduces reliance on ambulance providers and leaves open traditional healthcare resources for other community needs in times of need.
The ribbon-cutting included representation from organizations and official agencies, such as the South Texas Regional Advisory Council, the Consulate General of Mexico in San Antonio, local chambers of commerce, and Chanel, Fresca and Lady, Methodist Healthcare’s three emergency services facility dogs.
What they are saying
Susan Kilgore, senior vice president of operations at Methodist Healthcare, said the new service is designed to ensure critically ill patients get adequate care during a transfer and reach specialized teams as fast and safely as possible.
“By bringing transport operations under Methodist Healthcare leadership, we’re strengthening coordination and clinical consistency across the transfer process,” she added in a statement.
