TBRHSC Emergency Department - (Acadia Broadcasting File Photo)
Northwestern Ontario is getting a new team dedicated to newborn and infant patient transfers at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).
The team is working with the existing provincial transport teams and ORNGE.
The TBRHSC Paediatric Emergency Transport Team (PETT) is expected to improve access to care and reduce wait times for patients in communities across the region.
“This dedicated transport team provides specialized care that supports the unique care needs for the paediatric population of Northwestern Ontario,” said President and CEO of TBRHSC, Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott. “This vital service will improve health outcomes for newborns and infants requiring urgent or emergent care when transport to a tertiary care centre is needed.”
Before the team was made, infants in need of emergency care had to wait at hospitals or health centres while waiting for a transport team from southern Ontario or Manitoba.
Once the team is in place, patients aged newborn to 12 months who require urgent or emergent care at a higher level than their community can handle will be transported by PETT.
The plan is for the team to operate all day every day with one registered respiratory therapist and one registered nurse, supported by a paediatrician.
“The specialized Paedatric Emergency Transport Team ensures that infants in the North have access to advanced care when they need it,” explained the Director of Women and Children’s and Mental Health Programs at TBRHSC and Director of the Transport Team, Crystal Edwards. “This effort brings us closer to harmonizing health care in Northwestern Ontario with the rest of the province. It will allow for relationship-building and shared skills and knowledge between the team and the regional hospitals and remote nursing stations. We are grateful for the support of our partners to make this a reality.”
To support PETT and its operations, a second paediatric transfer deck which is used for transporting patients safely and efficiently, was recently added thanks to a donation from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation and a matching contribution from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.
While one paediatric transfer deck was already in operation, a second deck was needed to ensure the team could respond to even more critically ill children.
To complete this deck, the Health Sciences Foundation successfully fundraised for two essential pieces of equipment, a ventilator and a defibrillator.
The Paediatric Emergency Transport Team will be implemented in phases, starting with coverage to stabilize and transfer newborns and infants up to 12 months of age, with the future plan to transport a larger paediatric population.
