Healthnet

One of the University of Vermont Health Network Critical Care Transport ambulances, known as “Healthnet” (formerly FACT), is stationed at Central Vermont Medical Center daily from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. to provide rapid access to tertiary care for patients in central Vermont.

Exceptionally well-qualified crews include a critical care transport nurse and paramedic, and a driver who is usually a paramedic or an EMT Intermediate. The crew maintains competencies in emergency medicine, intensive care, surgical intensive care and pediatric intensive care. Trucks are set up with IV pumps, syringe pumps and other specialized equipment.

“Having the Healthnet ambulance here is a significant addition to the services offered at CVMC,” stated Mark Depman, MD, Medical Director of the CVMC Emergency Department. “Having the crew on standby enables us to make timely transfers to tertiary hospitals, where patients with severe injuries and medical conditions beyond the scope of our hospital services, can receive immediate treatment.”

The University of Vermont Health Network positions its critical transport equipment to provide optimal geographic coverage for rapid access to tertiary care. This usually means a trip to University of Vermont Medical Center, but it can also be a trip to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center or to Boston depending on the situation. The Critical Care Transport ambulance is generally used for inter-facility transport but it also provides quicker response to Gifford Hospital, Copley Hospital and Northeast Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury.