Call them the SWAT team of clinicians at RIH.
A group of highly trained nurses and respiratory therapists, they are responsible for taking calls of urgent importance - transporting critically ill patients between Interior Health Authority facilities.
And, like a SWAT team, they’re also known by a four-letter acronym.
Kamloops-based members of HART - high-acuity response team - were undergoing training at Royal Inland Hospital recently.
“Our team is doing competency validation renewals,” said Debra-Lyn Watson, regional team leader for HART.
In operation for just over a year, Watson said HART has proven to be a big success.
There are three HART bases within the IHA - in Kamloops, Cranbrook and Trail.
Each base is staffed by a six-member team of full-time clinicians who are specially trained in critical care.
“They’re Interior Health-based inter-facility transport teams,” Watson said.
“So, if a patient needs transport from one of our rural sites to a higher level of care, we have clinicians.
“Most of the patients are trauma patients, patients who are septic or cardiac patients.”
The Kamloops-based HART members serve the RIH catchment area - stretching from Merritt to Clearwater and Lillooet to Salmon Arm.
HART began in late 2010. Since then, Watson said, team members have been kept busy.
“The first year was great,” she said.
“We’ve actually done more than 211 transports to date.”
Dr. Lawrence Takeuchi, the IHA’s regional medical director for patient-transport services, said HART has been well-received within the medical community.
“There’s been exceptional response from the community in terms of the support the HART teams have provided for critically ill patients,” he said.
“In addition to the enhanced patient care, the HART staff have upgraded their skills and education and are in leadership positions for helping serve the community.”
When HART clinicians are not transporting patients, they are put to work at their home-base hospital.
Takeuchi said plans are in the works to expand HART into more areas of the IHA.
“We need to increase our service in the Penticton area, the North Okanagan and Williams Lake,” he said.
“We’re working with senior executives to plan for funding.”
In the meantime, Watson said, HART nurses will keep doing what they’ve been doing.
“We’re saving lives,” she said.
“That’s for sure.”