Memorial Hospital will Launch New Maternal Transport Service
Memorial Hospital of South Bend is the first hospital in northern Indiana to launch a new Maternal Fetal Transport service for high-risk expectant women.
The service will launch Friday. Each transport request will activate a response team that includes a high-risk obstetrical nurse and a respiratory therapist. Patient transport is provided by a dedicated Beacon Children’s Hospital ambulance.
The Memorial Special Care Obstetrics Unit cares for women who are suffering from or require specialized transport for pre-term labor; premature rupture of membranes; hypertensive disorders of pregnancy; insulin-dependent or gestational diabetes; vaginal bleeding; maternal medical conditions; multiple gestations (for example, twins, triplets, quadruplets); congenital abnormalities and anticipated NICU care for 22 weeks and greater gestations.
Maternal Fetal Medicine consultation and transport requests are available any time of the day or night, seven days a week by referring facilities across the region. The rates of perinatal mortality can be greatly reduced if patients are identified early and given appropriate care, said Dr. Renata Sawyer, perinatologist.
“After receiving maternal transports for nearly 30 years, Memorial is eager to offer a maternal transport team to serve area hospitals,” said Michaeleen Conlee, executive director, Women’s and Children’s Services. “Moms can be considered high-risk due to a variety of pregnancy complications, and by transporting mom first, outcomes are improved for mom and baby if delivery needs to happen. With the addition of a maternal transport team, this rounds out our full line of transport services at Memorial, including newborn, pediatric, adult medical transport via MedFlight, and now, maternal transport.”
For more information about the new Maternal Fetal Transport service, please contact Jessica Shuppert, perinatal outreach manager and registered nurse, Memorial Hospital, at 574-647-1658 or jshuppert@beaconhealthsystem.org.
