Sacred Heart Partners with UF Health on Critical Care Transport
In a significant advancement for neonatal and pediatric critical care, Sacred Heart Health System has announced a groundbreaking partnership with the University of Florida Health ShandsCair. This collaboration aims to enhance the air transportation capabilities for critically ill patients in the Pensacola area, ensuring faster and more efficient transfers to specialized care facilities.
Enhanced Air Transportation Capabilities
Starting in October, Sacred Heart will integrate ShandsCair’s ground and air fleets into its operations. This partnership is particularly noteworthy due to the introduction of ShandsCair’s advanced aircraft, including the Airbus Helicopters H155. This helicopter is designed to fly faster and farther than Sacred Heart’s existing air ambulances, significantly improving the transport of critically ill patients.
Henry Stovall, president of Sacred Heart Hospital, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating that the H155 can fly directly from Pensacola to Gainesville without the need for refueling. This capability is crucial in emergency situations where every second counts. Stovall remarked, "In an emergent transfer when there is an immediate threat to a child’s life, every minute counts." The ability to bypass refueling stops can be the difference between life and death for critically injured children.
The Advantages of the H155 and H135 Helicopters
The H155, stationed in Gainesville, boasts impressive specifications, capable of reaching speeds of 178 miles per hour and covering distances of up to 550 statute miles without needing to refuel. This efficiency allows for rapid transport to UF Health Shands Hospital, where specialized care is available for severe cases.
Additionally, ShandsCair will deploy the Airbus Helicopters H135 in Milton. This helicopter can achieve speeds of 140 miles per hour and travel up to 280 statute miles without refueling. While it can serve various hospitals in the region, it may still require refueling for longer transports, particularly to Gainesville. In such cases, the H155 will be utilized to ensure a seamless transfer.
Streamlined Patient Transfers
The operational logistics of the new partnership are designed to maximize efficiency. In scenarios where a patient requires urgent transport to UF Health Shands Hospital, the H155 will fly from Gainesville to Pensacola International Airport for refueling before heading to Sacred Heart to pick up the patient. This streamlined process minimizes delays and enhances the overall speed of critical care transport.
Mark Thomas, operations manager for UF Health ShandsCair, explained the operational flow: "The aircraft would fly up from Gainesville and get gas at Pensacola International Airport. It would fill up there, hop over to Sacred Heart, pick the baby up and go directly to Shands." This method ensures that critically ill patients receive the necessary care as quickly as possible.
Serving the Community’s Needs
The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart currently utilizes both ground and air transportation to serve approximately 60 critically ill patients each month, split evenly between pediatric and neonatal cases. With this new partnership, the hospital aims to enhance its service capabilities, ensuring that patients receive timely and appropriate care.
Moreover, Stovall indicated that the new service would be available to any facility needing to transfer a patient. For instance, if a local military base requires a patient to be flown to Houston, ShandsCair aircraft will be on hand to facilitate the transfer. This flexibility underscores the commitment of both Sacred Heart and UF Health to serve the broader community effectively.
A Vision for Excellence
Stovall expressed a clear vision for the future of this partnership, stating, "We are combining our equipment and crews with theirs. They have a state-of-the-art command center where they track and dispatch their crews. This is combining two very well-run operations. We intend to be the best of breed in the country. That’s our intention."
This collaboration between Sacred Heart and UF Health ShandsCair represents a significant step forward in critical care transport, promising to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable patients in the region. As the partnership unfolds, it is poised to set a new standard for emergency medical services, ensuring that critically ill children receive the care they need, when they need it most.