Transport Team at Cincinnati Children’s Lauded for Excellence

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

A ride to the hospital may not seem like a big deal, but for critically ill or injured patients, that commute to the hospital, and the care a patient receives en route, can be the difference between life and death.

The transport team at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center was recently recognized as one of the nation’s premier pediatric and neonatal critical care transport operations by the Association of Air Medical Services. The Critical Care Ground Award of Excellence was presented to the team at Cincinnati Children’s to honor “an outstanding contribution to education, patient advocacy and leadership in a dedicated Critical Care Ground program.”

This is the second time in a decade that the transport team at Cincinnati Children’s has received this recognition, and “a lot has changed between the first award and this one,” says Hamilton Schwartz, MD, medical director. “Transportation volumes ‘exploded’ with the summer 2008 opening of the Liberty campus,” he says. “We provide our patients the same level of exceptional care that they receive at the hospital, and we have the expertise to do that while moving at the same time.”

Patients who are admitted through the emergency department at the Liberty campus are transported to the main campus for inpatient care if they require admission or tertiary care.

As part of the Liberty expansion, the team hired additional personnel, including nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, emergency medical technicians and physicians. The management team also created a position for an education specialist. “We have the resources to be progressive and a leader in our industry,” says Becky Baute RN, MBA, CMTE, senior clinical director, transport team.

The transport team’s duties extend beyond “taking care of kids on the road,” says Dr. Schwartz. Both he and Baute sit on the Ohio Medical Transportation Board, appointed by Governor Ted Strickland. They also work to support initiatives that propose higher standards of safety for emergency transport vehicles.

As Cincinnati Children’s continues to meet the complex healthcare needs of children in Greater Cincinnati and around the world, the transport team is focusing on the issues of safety, evidence-based practice and excellence in the care of critically ill and injured pediatric and neonatal patients.

“To have outside validation for what we are doing is huge and this award is the pinnacle for our team,” says Dr. Schwartz.

About Cincinnati Children’s

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is one of 10 children’s hospitals in the United States to make the Honor Roll in U.S. News and World Reports 2009-10 America’s Best Children’s Hospitals issue. It is #1 ranked for digestive disorders and is also highly ranked for its expertise in respiratory diseases, cancer, neonatal care, heart care, neurosurgery, diabetes, orthopedics, kidney disorders and urology. One of the three largest children’s hospitals in the U.S., Cincinnati Children’s is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

President Barack Obama in June 2009 cited Cincinnati Children’s as an “island of excellence” in health care. For its achievements in transforming health care, Cincinnati Children’s is one of six U.S. hospitals since 2002 to be awarded the American Hospital Association-McKesson Quest for Quality Prize for leadership and innovation in quality, safety and commitment to patient care. The hospital is a national and international referral center for complex cases. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org.