Health care
Health care
BY BEN THOMPSON
BY BEN THOMPSON
BY SARAH HERNANDEZ
“Squads,” or life-saving SUV units, are now replacing some Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services ambulances. The new squad pilot program started April 22 after years of consideration and several months of formal development, EMS spokesperson Capt. Christa Stedman said. The change is meant to improve call and personnel management within budget limitations, according to ATCEMS, while the city medics’ union says 911 responses are being negatively impacted. Local ambulance service scale down
Cell therapy advances at St. David’s
What to expect
The takeaway
The department will monitor response times and other metrics under the sta ng change, with adjustments to be made as needed. “This approach is part of a broader evolution in how EMS systems across the country are adapting to growing call volumes and increasingly complex patient needs,” o cials said.
St. David’s o erings have expanded since launching in 2014 with only one treatment type. While it’s not an academic center, Ramakrishnan said physicians still do a lot of research and work with professionals across the national therapy network. The program has now served more than 1,000 people. “When I got here in 2014, they told me we were going to do about six procedures for the rst year. I think we did 27. People have just been ocking here,” he said. “We’re grateful that, again, we’re able to provide these services to the community.” Ramakrishnan said service improvements, added clinical trials and new o ce spaces around Austin are possible in the program’s future.
For over a decade, St. David’s South Austin Medical Center has o ered the city’s only selection of cellular therapies for various blood cancers. Through the Sarah Cannon Transplant & Cellular Therapy Network, hundreds of patients have had access to di erent types of transplant treatments while being able to stay close to home. “Imagine having to drive to another city where the service is available. That’s a big burden,” Program Director Dr. Aravind Ramakrishnan said. “They have these diseases, they’re horrible, they have to drive to their appointment, they have to spend all this time, they often need a caregiver. It really upends their life. To keep them home in their bed around their support network, I think it’s huge for the patients.”
St. David’s South Austin facility provides three speci c cellular cancer treatments. Treatment types Autologous transplant Patients’ own stems cells are harvested while they’re treated with high-dose chemotherapy, before cells are reintroduced to patients. This treats cancers like multiple myeloma and Hodgkins lymphoma. Allogeneic transplant Patients are evaluated for a transplant over several months, and a cell donor is selected and then treated with chemo or radiation before cells are transfused. This treats cancers like leukemia. CAR T-cell therapy Immune cells from the patient or a donor are extracted and genetically modi ed. Patients receive treatment like chemo before the cells are infused to target cancers. This treats cancers like lymphoma.
Ambulance: • Paramedic and EMT • Advanced gear, patient transportation capacity
Squad: • One paramedic • Less equipment and
Going forward
medication onboard, no patient transport capacity
Ambulances have full patient transport capacity but squad units can’t transport patients. Squads are now in service from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. based on daily EMS sta ng and call volume.
COURTESY AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS Austin medics are responding to calls with both ambulance and squad units.
SOURCE: ST. DAVID’S HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY IMPACT
BRODIE LANE 4970 W Hwy 290 (512) 366-8260 BEE CAVE 13015 Shops Pkwy (512) 263-9981
SOUTHPARK MEADOWS 9900 S I-35 Frontage Rd (512) 280-7400
DRIPPING SPRINGS 166 Hargraves (512) 432-0186
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