Bariatric Transport Units

[EMDispatch]

Since this has come up in a few personal discussions lately, I'm curious to know:
1. If your agency has a dedicated bariatric transport unit?
If so can you provide an idea of the size of your agency, also what are the specs of your unit.
2. Do you feel it's a valuable asset,or an under/over-utilized resource?

 

[DesertMedic66]

We just turned our CCT ambulance into one.

It's a fairly old type 3 ambulance. It has the Stryker bariatric gurney, a warn winch, and ramps the hook into the unit.

We don't staff the unit. What happens is if a crew needs the unit they contact dispatch with a request and dispatch sends the closest available unit to get the ambulance and pick it up and then respond to the call.

We don't really ever use it. We got used to working around it. Leaving the gurney on scene and using a mega mover or carry all and just lay the patient on the ground of the unit.

 

[rmabrey]

We have a normal mod with a stryker bariatric. A removable plate that bolts down to hold the ramps. Also have a winch. Some days we run 911 in it, but mosy of the time it sits.

If its being used on a transfer the closest unit will trade out trucks. If we need it for an emeegwmcy call we have to assess the patient and contact med control for permission to delay transport.

I personally believe it is under utilized. Lots of patients could benefit from the wider cot for comfort during transport. However, if they dont meet the insurance definition of bariatric then we will bill them what insurance doesn't pay.

 

[WolfmanHarris]

Now with all our trucks having Stryker Power Load we don't have dedicated bariatric units. Our Special Response Units carry the wide body version of the Stryker power cot and the motorized stair chair as well as lifting air bags. SRU responds to our bariatric calls along with the transport unit.

 

[NPO]

My previous company had a dedicated bariatric unit that was an extra large type III and several type III units capable of bariatric patients. We had 3 bariatric Gurney's at stations around the county. The designated bariatric unit had a lift, ramps and a winch. The other units just had the lift. However more often than not we would just load like normal with the help of extra people because we had manual strykers. If we had power cots the lifts would have been used a lot more.

It was a primarily IFT company.

My current company doesn't have any special provisions for bariatric other than calling for fire if they aren't on scene already. We are converting all of our gurneys from manual fernos to power strykers, which makes me happy, and I saw one with the Strykers XPS.

 

[Tigger]

The AMR operation I work for just permanently converted a Type III that had too many miles on it to meet the 911 contract's requirements for front line service. It's a fully stocked ambulance minus bags and a monitor. When a scheduled transfer comes in, the transfer ambulance will return to base and grab it. When it's a 911 call the supervisor or someone else at base will bring it up. It's got a stryker bariatric cot, winch, and ramps. It's utilized fairly frequently so long as time isn't too much of an issue. Another option is utilizing the wheelchair vans. If the patient is too large and is able to remain in a bariatric wheelchair despite their illness, a van will be dispatched and the patient and one medic will be transported in the van. Not ideal, but far more comfortable for the patient.

My full time place does not have anything. In theory we could call AMR and have it come up mutual aid, but realistically we're just going to work around it, for better or worse. Our neighbors have a Ferno Cot that they can place the LBS thing on to make a pseudo-bari cot but it only fits in their fourth line ambulance which isn't always stocked or in service.

I have worked a bariatric ambulance that was a Type II. Those were some bad days.