During 2001 the Pediatric Emergency Transport Service (PETS) completed 217 transports, contributing 67% of the Memorial Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit census. The most frequent diagnoses for transports were: respiratory problems, followed by seizures, sepsis (overwhelming infection), ingestions, and trauma. Additional diagnoses included cardiac, post-arrest, near-drowning, dehydration, metabolic disorders, oncology, and GI problems. PETS served 13 area hospitals. Goshen, Elkhart, and Michigan City account for 45% of PETS referrals. The other hospitals were Bremen, Niles, LaPorte, Mishawaka, Plymouth, Knox, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, LaGrange, Peru, and Rochester.

Staff
The ambulance is staffed with a Peds Transport RN, Paramedic, and Respiratory Therapist, 24 hours and day, 7 days a week. Two Pediatric Intensive Care physicians direct the Team. Eight transport nurses average more than 12 years' experience in pediatric critical care, spanning four to 17 years' experience.

Outreach
The PETS team participates in outreach both professionally (doing case reviews and inservices for referral staff, both nursing and physicians) and in the community (participating in health fairs, visiting schools, injury prevention education. (You should see their egg race to teach seat belt safety!) In 2001 the team provided 17 inservices to professional referral staff and 10 community events.