The new program is designed for interfacility transfers to higher‑acuity care. (Courtesy Methodist Healthcare)
Methodist Healthcare launched a new Critical Care and Specialty Team on March 30.
The details
The Methodist Healthcare Critical Care and Specialty Teams is a dedicated medical transport service line designed to extend high-acuity care beyond the hospital and support consistent care during internal and interfacility transfers, according to a news release.
The new program is not a 9‑1‑1 service and focuses on interfacility transfers to higher‑acuity care, and is designed to reduce reliance on external ambulance providers, the news release states.
The services include:
Four critical care ambulances
Ground or air transport when appropriate
Dual paramedic and nurse teams trained for critically ill or injured patients, with training in heart alerts, stroke alerts, sepsis alerts, ECMO transports and major trauma
The breakdown
Early case examples or projected patient volume for the program is 3,500 patients in the first year, Methodist Healthcare officials shared with Community Impact.
Ashley Funkhouser, division director of media relations, confirmed that the service is projected to save 55 minutes from the current transfer methods and services. With the addition of the Critical Care Ambulances, they also project potential time savings of two to three hours for rural transfers.
Methodist Healthcare officials confirmed that response time will vary based on distance and location.
"Once a transfer request is received, the team mobilizes as quickly as possible and deployment is coordinated to match the patient’s clinical needs. Within the San Antonio area, we project the service can support around 10 to 11 transports in a 24-hour period," said Funkhouser.
The transport service includes four critical care ambulances. (Courtesy Methodist Healthcare)
“This service is about patient impact, helping ensure critically ill patients receive the right level of care during transfer and reach specialized teams as quickly and safely as possible,” Susan Kilgore, senior vice president of operations at Methodist Healthcare, said in the news release. “By bringing transport operations under Methodist Healthcare leadership, we’re strengthening coordination and clinical consistency across the transfer process.”
Launched March 30
Available throughout the Methodist Healthcare system
