A multidisciplinary approach to neonatal ambulance design

The transport of a critically ill neonate from a community hospital to a regional intensive care unit requires the expertise of a specially trained team and a transport environment that addresses the unique needs of critically ill neonates. Utilization of ground vehicles for the transportation of neonates as compared to air transport seems to be increasing on a national basis. Traditional ambulance design falls short of meeting the distinctive needs of a neonatal transport service. The purpose of this article is to describe the process used by one facility to design a neonatal-specific ambulance. Use of a multidisciplinary team in developing this vehicle helped address the identified needs of this midwestern transport service.