Jason King, chief nursing officer and vice-president of patient care services at Indiana University Health Morgan, announced the delivery of a new ambulance to serve the residents of Morgan County. The ambulance was funded through the hospital’s philanthropy efforts.
When Morgan County’s previous ambulance service ended unexpectedly, King and Larry Bailey, president of IU Health Morgan, had to find an alternate plan for emergency transportation and care. They contacted Cory Hall, director of Indiana University Health LifeLine, to discuss options. IU Health Bloomington Hospital lent an ambulance, which was used for hospital to hospital transfer, to fill in while King and Hall searched for a long-term solution. IU Health LifeLine crews worked with Morgan County EMS providing Advanced Life Support services to the county while also working to build a sustainable transport system for IU Health Morgan. “The county was never without emergency services,” said King. “This is a benefit to being part of a large health system.”
“It was truly a collaborative effort,” King said. “Martinsville Mayor Shannon Kohl, along with IU Health Bloomington, Morgan County EMS, and IU Health Morgan Foundation teams came together to provide seamless transition in care.”
King applied for and received $240,000 in philanthropic funds to buy a new IU Health LifeLine ambulance and support for advanced training for the ambulance crew. “LifeLine didn’t miss a beat,” King says. “The new ambulance is state-of-the-art, equipped with specialty medical equipment to provide advanced care during transports to our adult and pediatric Level I trauma centers in Indianapolis. And we now have a team that has been trained in Advanced Life Support care.”
The power of philanthropy is essential to ensure that Hoosiers have access to the best possible medical treatment, especially in an emergency situation or when transporting patients to bigger hospitals. “This was a great win for Morgan County,” King said.
The mission of IU Health Foundation is to increase the role of philanthropy to help IU Health achieve its goal of making Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states. IU Health Foundation improves the health of individuals, communities and the state by focusing its philanthropy on people, progress and partnerships. To learn more, visit iuhealthfoundation.org.