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Inside Pediatrics Podcast

BIRMINGHAM (Oct. 13, 2021) – Children’s of Alabama has enhanced its ability to help sick children get the care they need. The hospital’s Critical Care Transport team recently added a new, state-of-the-art helicopter thanks to donations from the Monday Morning Quarterback Club.

The helicopter, an Airbus H145, replaces the team’s previous helicopter, which had been in use since 2012. Jason Peterson, director of the Critical Care Transport team, says the new helicopter will help the team serve patients more effectively.

“It’s going to mean the most to our patients and our patients’ families. It’s really cool that we’re going to have a new piece of equipment and state-of-the-art technologies for our medical crews to operate in. But at the end of the day, it’s going to come down to the ability for our crews to provide excellent care for our patients and their families.”

The Children’s Critical Care Transport team has been around since 1983, transporting critically ill and injured children between medical facilities across the state and beyond. Whenever a child needs a level of care beyond what’s offered in their area, the team transports them to a facility that offers that level of care. The team’s vehicles – ambulances, the helicopter and air medical jet – are essentially mobile emergency rooms, equipped with the technology necessary to care for the child during that trip. The technology in the new helicopter is even more sophisticated than what was in the previous helicopter.

“In the state of Alabama, it’s one of a kind,” Peterson said. “Currently, it is the only aircraft of this model in the state. It is one of the most advanced technological aircrafts in the state.”

Among the technological features in the new helicopter are enhanced terrain avoidance systems, weather radar and more. These make it possible for the crews to travel in Instrument Flight Rule conditions – something they previously could not do, being restricted to Visual Flight Rules through the Federal Aviation Administration. Now, the team can transport patients even when the weather is not totally clear.

The helicopter also has twin engines, a rolling stretcher and rear-loading capacity. It offers enough space for four crew members in the back by the patient, with a pilot and another passenger in the front.

The helicopter is named QB1 after the Monday Morning Quarterback Club in recognition of the club’s fundraising efforts which made it possible for Children’s of Alabama to get the helicopter.

“It’s very impactful,” Monday Morning Quarterback Club board member Jeff Stone said. “Our club is all about supporting the medical needs of children in our community any way we can, and I can’t think of a better way of doing it than through this helicopter.”

The operation of the helicopter is possible through a partnership between Children's and Med-Trans Corporation, part of the Global Medical Response family of companies. Med-Trans provides all pilots, mechanics and other operation logistics for Children's to use the new helicopter.

HELICOPTER PHOTOS: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hztRWmpVYLx7DadgODLe2Mmxm71hwprL?usp=sharing 

Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient, outpatient and primary care throughout central Alabama. Ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s serves patients from every county in Alabama and nearly every state. Children’s is a private, not-for-profit medical center that serves as the teaching hospital for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine, surgery, psychiatry, research and residency programs. The medical staff consists of UAB faculty and Children’s full-time physicians as well as private practicing community physicians. 

About Med-Trans Corporation

Med-Trans is a leading national medical transport provider, focused on establishing professional relationships with leading health systems, medical centers and EMS agencies. Med-Trans offers a broad range of solutions to help its partners achieve successful patient outcomes. With relationships in 26 states and operations from more than 90 base locations, more than 1,200 Med-Trans team members make a difference every day in the lives and communities they serve. For more info go to www.med-trans.net.

Med-Trans is part of the Global Medical Response family of companies. Global Medical Response, Inc. is the industry-leading air, ground, specialty and residential fire services, and managed medical transportation organization. With more than 38,000 employees, GMR delivers compassionate, quality medical care, primarily in the areas of emergency and patient relocation services in the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.globalmedicalresponse.com.