Fifteen experienced Mercy caregivers offer 24/7 response
By air and by ground, Mercy has formed a new, 24-hour team to bring specialized care to children needing transported to Mercy Kids in Springfield.
“They are not little adults. Kids needs can be much different,” said Teri Sickmyre, Mercy Kids transport manager. “We need to treat them as a special population. An adult being brought in might be a little nervous. But for a child, it can be horrifying, even if it’s for a procedure.”
Sickmyre leads and is now part of the dedicated Mercy Kids Transport Team, complete with seven registered nurses and seven registered respiratory therapists—all experienced, well-vetted and ready for a new mission. Effective May 1, Mercy’s “Day of the Child,” and moving forward, the team will handle not only neonatal but also pediatric (children under 18) transports around the clock from facilities across Northwest Arkansas and south Missouri.
“It will be the first team of this caliber in this region,” said D.J. Satterfield, administrative director of Mercy’s Life Line flight program. “We’ll reach the Kansas border, near Joplin, as far south as Rogers, then east to Rolla, West Plains and Mountain Home.”
“This has been my dream job since day one of nursing school,” said neonatal nurse Drew Boyts, one of two men on the transport team. “Before, we never really did have a specialized pediatric transport. This way, we have a specific team designed and used to taking care of kids. We know what our doctors want, so it’s safer care for all patients.”
The team will operate on a phone system that will link both referring and accepting physicians, “so there won’t be any room for delay,” added Sickmyre. “We know this is a family process. The whole family is affected. Regardless of whether it’s stitches or a life-threatening injury, we want this team to be sensitive to children and their families.”
The team’s designated ambulance, known as “Kids 1,” has pediatric and neonatal specific medical equipment “It’s a mini ICU,” said Sickmyre, complete with resuscitation equipment to meet the needs of 23-week gestation infants up to 18-year-olds. “There are different ways to resuscitate patients of every age. Their needs are much more varied than the adult population.”
“It will also be loaded down with everything special for kids,” added Boyts. “We plan to have a portable DVD set, coloring books, games, and more. There will be lots of distractions to keep the children comfortable.”
This is Mercy’s second children’s transport team; Mercy Hospital St. Louis launched its team two years ago. “We’ve worked closely with them to get our policies, protocols and procedures in step,” said Sickmyre. “We’ve also had mentorship from legacy hospitals across the nation, because it’s an awesome responsibility that we don’t take lightly. It won’t just be a transport team, but a successful, stellar transport team.”
Team members will have designated Mercy Kids flight suits to wear similar to those worn by Life Line crews. “We’re ready and antsy to get to work,” said Boyts. “We want to provide this region with the best care possible.”
Mercy Kids is a network of pediatric care dedicated to meeting the needs of every child, every day. It is powered by more than 700 pediatricians and family doctors in partnership with 125 pediatric specialists. Anchored by two acute care pediatric hospitals in St. Louis and Springfield, Mo., Mercy Kids offers a full range of services to support healthy childhoods, including pediatric, specialty and educational services.
Mercy is the sixth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. and serves more than 3 million people annually. Mercy includes 33 acute care hospitals, four heart hospitals, two children’s hospitals, two rehab hospitals and one orthopedic hospital, nearly 700 clinic and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,100 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.