Tag Archives: Bariatric Ambulance

ASM Adds Second Type III Bariatric Ambulance

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Ambulance Service of Manchester Bariatric Ambulance Stryker Power LoadMANCHESTER — On March 21, 2014 the Ambulance Service of Manchester put in service a second Type III ambulance for the transport of morbidly obese patients as well as for use with certain flight, specialty and critical care transport teams. The ambulance is identically equipped to ASM and Aetna’s existing bariatric ambulances, complete with a Stryker Power-LOAD stretcher lift system.

Capable of lifting a maximum patient weight of 700 pounds, it is the company’s belief that the Stryker Power-LOAD is the safest overall bariatric ambulance equipment. Read more about what makes the Power-LOAD system the safest...

STRYKER Power Load Stretcher - Aetna ASM AmbulanceAdding an additional bariatric ambulance is part of ASM and Aetna’s continued commitment to the communities and clients the companies serve. 

Comfort, Safety, Space Features Added to Bariatric Ambulance Stretchers

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1363718992_IMG_8412MANCHESTER and HARTFORD — The specialty bariatric stretchers operated by Aetna and ASM have now been equipped with Stryker’s Expandable Patient Surface (or XPS) system.

The XPS System consists of a new wider mattress and new side rails that fold out instead of down. The side rails are not intended to support the patient primary body weight. Instead they are intended to enhance patient comfort.

XPS_LargeAccording to the Stryker website, “XPS is adjustable with seven locking positions and includes a wider mattress that reduces transfer gap and designed with patient comfort in mind. This solution helps address growing obesity trends and supports a variety of patients and environments.”

Heavy Lifting For Ambulance Crews

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Obesity Epidemic Is Changing Emergency Medical Transport

By JESSE LEAVENWORTH, leavenworth@courant.com The Hartford Courant

October 20, 2012

Brian Langan Ambulance Service of Manchester

Emergency medical technicians have long shared a Murphy’s Law kind of reckoning about obese patients: for every additional floor in a building, the patient will weigh 100 more pounds.

It’s dark humor among men and women with an often grim, strenuous job, but obesity rates are rising throughout the state and nation, and a recently released report says the ranks of the morbidly obese will continue to balloon.

The task of transporting patients who weigh at least 100 pounds more than they should is now a daily reality in Connecticut and throughout the nation. The job strains ambulance crews, causing widespread back injuries, and piles financial burdens on both volunteer companies and professional providers.

“We’ve always had to deal with big people,” said Glenn Luedtke,safety committee chairman of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, “but nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see someone who’s 300 pounds into the 400-pound range.” Continue reading →

Stryker Power Stretcher System Deployed on Bariatric Ambulances

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The safest bariatric ambulance loading system in use today. 

POWER Load Stretcher - ASM Aetna Ambulance

HARTFORD and MANCHESTER, Connecticut — On October 1, 2012, Aetna Ambulance and the Ambulance Service of Manchester installed and deployed Stryker Power-LOAD stretcher lift systems in each of the company’s two bariatric ambulances. 

Capable of lifting a maximum patient weight of 700 pounds, it is the company’s firm belief that the Stryker Power LOAD is the safest overall bariatric ambulance equipment for a number of reasons:

  • Power-LOAD is the best product for protecting the dignity  of  the patient. There are no industrial winches or uneven, ten foot track systems. There is no large rear deployment area that has the patient sitting out exposed to the elements.
  • Power-LOAD is the best system for protecting the well-being of the ambulance crew. Patient and stretcher lifting is done entirely by the powered system and not by the backs of the crew. The system reduces stretcher drops and makes the best use of its low center of gravity.
  • Power-LOAD is the best method for healthcare facilities as it is not large and unwieldy. It is easy to maneuver and fits into any space where a standard stretcher would fit.

Equipping our bariatric units with the Power-LOAD stretcher lift system is part of Aetna and ASM’s long-term commitment to the safety of our patients and employees. 

Read the Hartford Courant Article here: Ambulance Service Of Manchester And Aetna Ambulance Get New Equipment For Obese Patients…

Continue reading →