Hanover Hospital and Penn Township Provide New MICU Services

Hanover Hospital and Penn Township Volunteer Emergency Services are proud to offer Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) services.  The MICU responds to 911 emergencies within Hanover Borough and Penn Township, and also provides timely inter-facility transportation for critically ill or injured patients.  

After using a temporary vehicle since the service’s inception earlier this year, the crew is now driving a brand new, fully appointed and equipped 2007 Horton MICU Ambulance, which is supplied by Penn Township Volunteer Emergency Services.

According to Michael Smith, Chief of Hanover Hospital’s Advanced Life Support Unit, the partnership has resulted in the provision of a much-needed and much-appreciated service that covers the two busiest of 25 municipalities in Medic 46’s response district.  Hanover is the only community-based hospital in the area that provides Critical Care Transport with a Paramedic and a Prehospital Registered Nurse if needed.  

Penn Township provides the basic life support equipment, ambulance and a paid emergency medical technician (EMT).  The MICU, provided and maintained by Penn Township, is housed at the Wirt Park Fire Station.

Since January 1, 2007, the MICU has responded to over 1,076 calls, of which 235 were inter-facility transports.  “There are days we put two MICUs on the road due to the volume of calls,” said Smith.  “It really challenges our resources during those very busy times.”  The new MICU transports many patients who previously would have been sent by helicopter and in bad weather it covers for the helicopter services.

Smith said the new service has been so successful because Penn Township and Hanover Hospital share the same mission of caring for our community, adding that Penn Township personnel have been “superb” to work with.          

From a customer service perspective, doctors are “ecstatic” about MICU’s rapid transport service, which provides lifesaving services for their patients with heart-related emergencies or stroke, toxicology cases, pediatrics and OB pre-term high risk.   Cardiologist Dr. Thomas Haywood said the MICU service also assures patient safety benefits, explaining that “patients sent for further care following cardiac catheterization can be transported safely using the monitoring devices.”  The MICU staff also retrieves patients who need to return to our hospital after receiving testing or services at other facilities.

During the first nine months of 2007, a total of 2,707 MICU and Medic 46 calls have been logged, with a total of 331 calls in August, the highest month in Medic 46 history.  With the exception of a slow March, Smith notes that 2007 has been the busiest year to date.   He also mentioned that while there is a well-publicized nursing shortage there is also a nationwide shortage of professional paramedics, and he encourages individuals looking for a meaningful and personally rewarding career serving their community to consider paramedic training.

Finally, Smith wishes to remind everyone that when they are driving on the roadways and are approached by any emergency vehicle with lighting and siren activated, the law requires motorists driving in both directions to immediately pull to the right side of the road and stop.  Emergency vehicles include:  police cars, ambulances, paramedics and fire department vehicles. 

For information about the new MICU services, or about becoming a paramedic, please contact Chief Smith at (717) 633-8989.