Long Distance Ground

Long Distance Ground Medical Transport

For some patients, the least stressful and least costly method of patient transport is Long Distance Ground Medical Transport. A long distance ground transport will travel non-stop for a maximum of 1,200 miles. The team consists of two certified drivers up front with a licensed care giver in the back providing medical care to the stretchered patient. 

Global Air Ambulance provides several levels of ground transport care depending on your patient’s needs.

• Non-Ambulance transport
• Basic Life Support Ambulance
• Advanced Life Support Ambulance
• Critical Care Ambulance
• Bariatric Ambulance
• Pediatric Ambulance
• Psychiatric Ambulance

The type of long distance ground medical transport your patient requires depends on their medical needs and the type of discharge the sending facility gives. Please call Global Air Ambulance today at  941-536-2002 or 1-800-948-1220 and we can discuss the various options in detail with you.

Non-Ambulance Long Distance Ground Transportation

Non-ambulance transport is the least costly type of transport that we provide. Non-ambulance ground transportation is a very good alternative for basic patients that need comfort care and are unable to sit for long periods of time. It is best for basic, medically stable patients that will most likely not require emergency medical response. 

Basic care can include: 

• Periodic monitoring of vital signs
• Oxygen level by pulse oximeter and management by oxygen concentrator
• Suctioning
• Basic hygiene, incontinence and catheter management
• Blood sugar monitoring and glucose management
• Feeding tubes
• Basic wound management
• Over the counter medications
• Meals, including specialty meals 

A patient’s family member can travel with the patient. As an alternative, patient family members can be periodically informed of the trip progress and patient’s condition.

Non-ambulance long distance ground transport is provided with a non-ambulance vehicle therefore the ride is very comfortable. Care is given by medical professionals but the vehicles are not licensed as ambulances, are not under the legal care of a medical doctor, and are not outfitted with emergency ambulance equipment and medicines. Oxygen is provided as well as other basic medical care, but prescription medicines, including narcotics for pain cannot be given.

If your patient’s attending medical doctor gives the patient a general discharge, meaning that the patient is free to go home under their own or their family’s care, a non-ambulance long distance ground transport may be a very good option.

If your patient’s doctor gives a medical discharge, however, then a higher level of care should be chosen. A medical discharge means that the attending doctor wishes to hand over legal care to a transport doctor who then turns over legal care to a receiving doctor. Under these circumstances, a non-ambulance long distance ground transport is not a preferred choice.

Ambulance Long Distance Ground Transportation

If your doctor gives a medical discharge, then either a basic life support, advanced life support, or critical care ambulance may be needed. Global Air Ambulance can assist you to determine the level of ambulance required.

Basic life support (BLS) Ambulance

BLS ambulances provide care to patients who require basic medical monitoring and care. They are staffed by emergency medical technicians and ambulance drivers. Patient conditions for basic medical monitoring could include: alzheimer patients, patients with fractures, long term stroke patients, or surgical patients that do not require cardiac monitoring. Patients who are going to their residences to be cared for by home health care companies, or those going to nursing homes or assisted living facilities, may be good candidates for this type of service.

Advanced life support (ALS) Ambulance

ALS ambulances provide care to patients who require advanced medical monitoring and care. ALS ambulances are staffed by paramedics and carry ALS medical equipment and medicines needed to respond to emergencies while enroute. ALS ambulances carry ECG monitors, ventilators, IV pumps, as well as ALS medicines and supplies.

Critical Care (CCS) Ambulance

Critical Care ambulances transport critically ill and injured patients to facilities with higher levels of care. CCS ambulances can transport critical care patients that are expected to be stable throughout the transport.

Cases that are best transported by CCS ambulances include, cardiovascular, respiratory, trauma, neurological and respiratory cases. CCS ambulances can manage critical care patients requiring special equipment and advanced care. Patients needing cardiac monitoring, vented patients, those requiring high o2 flow, multiple IVs, central lines, specialty gases, balloon pumps, chest tubes, ECMO and other critical care capabilities can be safely transported on a CCS ambulance. To maintain a higher level of care, CCS ambulances are staffed with paramedics and critical care transport registered nurses with ACLS, PALS and NRP certifications.

Bariatric Ambulance

Patients that are morbidly obese may need to be transported by a bariatric ambulance. Bariatric ambulances have modified equipment to manage an obese patient. Whereas air ambulances are constrained by their cargo wide air ambulance doors, bariatric ambulances do not have this restriction and can transport most patients. Bariatric ambulances have wide interiors and stretchers to handle the severely obese.

Pediatric Ambulance

If your patient is a child needing critical care, they may need a pediatric ambulance. Pediatric ambulances are staffed with Critical Care Registered Nurses specialized in the care of neonates and pediatric patients. Pediatric ambulances are essentially mobile ICUs for young patients, carrying equipment specially designed for neonates, infants and children, including mobile isolettes.

Pediatric ambulance staff are skilled in pediatric emergency medicine and have extensive experience in the care of young children. Pediatric ambulances have room onboard for parents to travel with their child patient.

Long Distance Ground Patient Transport Process

Long distance ground transport is ideal for patients travelling from one location to another within a distance where air travel would not be practical. Ideal candidates for this type of transfer are patients with chronic illness, cancer, dementia, mobility issues, and stroke. Unfortunately, patients who are on a ventilator or who have tracheostomy are not eligible for this type of transport. 

After calling Global Air Ambulance to discuss your patient’s needs, we will consult with you and your patient’s care givers to determine the right level of care for your patient. We will collect all required information and enter into a contract with you. Afterwards, we consult with the sending and receiving facilities and develop a detailed itinerary for you. Typically, trips can take place within 4-5 days after contracting.

On the day of the trip, the crew will arrive at the facility at the designated time to pick up the patient. The team will then place the patient comfortably in the rear of the transport with our medical staff. The family member can also sit in the back with the patient. During the transport, we will periodically stop for fuel and meals for both the team and the patient and family. Once we arrive at the destination, the team will place the patient in their bed and go over the trip report with their caregivers. Please give Global Air Ambulance a call at  941-536-2002 or 1-800-948-1220 to discuss the specific needs of your patient. We are available 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Cost Saving Options For Long Distance Ground

The cost of long distance ground transport is considerably less than the cost air ambulance but the length of the travel day is much longer. For this reason this type of transport is suitable for those patients who are receiving basic life support care, need to be transported lying down on a stretcher and need a medical professional monitoring their condition throughout the trip. 

Why Choose Global Air Ambulance For Your Medical Transport

Our staff knows that sometimes air ambulance transport is not the best way to transport a patient especially when the patient is receiving basic life support care and the mileage between the two travel locations is less than 400 miles. When long distance ground transport is the best transport method, we work to handle all the travel details for you and your patient. We will initiate the pre trip medical assessment of the patient, coordinate communication between the sending and receiving physicians and facilities, and provide a post trip assessment. Most importantly we will make sure your patient has great medical care throughout the transport.