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Baptist Health gets new ambulances to take intensive care on the road

This will be the first ambulance in the state able to transfer patents on ECMO, a life support machine.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Baptist Health will be using two new ambulances to help them reach more patients in need of life-saving care.

"It's a good feeling, being able to kind of do something no one's been able to do before in the state," said Austin Glover, a nurse at Baptist.

Glover was referring to the fact that the adult critical care ambulance is the first in the state to transfer people on ECMO,  a life support machine. 

"You offer someone at least a chance, and where they didn't have one before," Glover said.

They will use it to transfer critical patients to Baptist from other hospitals around the state. 

"It's something I think everyone in healthcare, it's not exclusive to nursing. I think that's everyone's goal is to give people chances to you know, have good quality of life and continue life," he added.

Doctor John Ransom agreed with Glover's statement and compared EMCO to an ICU.

"ECMO, which is a total life support, totally replaces assist function of the lungs or the heart, or both. And in addition to all those that can be done at one time, we can have four caregivers in the back of the ambulance taking care of that person," Dr. John Ransom said.

They also now have an ambulance for babies who need intensive care. 

"I think I'm excited about having the ability to transport them safely," Ransom said.

He believed that it will be a big help for the sickest patients in Arkansas. 

"I think this helps a lot of people. I think we save a lot of lives by doing this," he explained.

    

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