UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's commissions new NICU Transport Vehicle

Patients across Siouxland will now have quicker access to the highest quality of care thanks to the new transport vehicle commissioned by UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s.

Being referred to as the NICU Transport Vehicle, its primary purpose will be to transport Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) staff to the bedside in cases where advanced care is needed in our neighboring rural communities. It will also serve to transport newborns to the areas only Level II NICU at UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s for continued care and monitoring. 

“This vehicle will be transporting Siouxland’s tiniest and most precious cargo,” says UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Chief Nursing Executive, Wendy Lindley. “Providing access to high quality care in all the communities we serve is a priority and it will make a massive impact on patients in these rural areas.”

Before acquiring its own transport vehicle, UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s relied on local transport services to take its staff to the patient’s bedside. While that process was extremely beneficial, owning its own vehicle will allow the St. Luke’s team to respond to a rural facility more efficiently, mainly because the staff and transport vehicle will be on-site at the hospital 24/7.

The NICU Transport Vehicle comes equipped with industry standard safety features to ensure a safe ride for passengers. It will have the ability to transport an expert team of four to five people, including a driver, one to two NICU nurses, an advanced care practitioner and a respiratory therapist.

Once it passed the Iowa Department of Public Health’s inspection this morning, it was officially considered an ambulance transport service and is ready to serve the patients of Siouxland.