Our state-of-the-art MICUs carry the latest equipment and supplies for airway management, artificial ventilation, oxygenation, suction, and patient monitoring to care for the most acutely ill patients during transport. They are owned by and based at St. Louis Children's Hospital. These units typically consist of two clinicians and one MICU operator, all with extensive experience and training in pediatric and newborn care. Depending on the illness, a specially trained physician can also be included. This team allows for a smooth transition for newborn and pediatric intensive care patients between hospitals within a 230-mile ground service area. Many intensive care procedures can be performed during transport that typically could be delayed at an outlying hospital. Several area and national emergency medical services (EMS) are currently modeling their MICUs after the St. Louis Children's Hospital design.
Our MICUs offer:
- The latest advanced equipment with minor differences in equipment placement
- On-board medical air
- A safety belt system that allows the crew to access patients while properly restrained
- A redundant electrical system backed up by a generator in case of a vehicle failure
Parents are welcome to ride in the MICU, which have themes including dinosaurs and outer space, and less acute patients can watch videos during extended transports.
