Mobile Intensive Care Overview

The Mobile intensive Care Unit (MICU) of Life Ambulance Service has been in operation in the Southeastern Ohio area since January 2000. The objective of the MICU is to provide continuity of care to those patients who require specialized skills and equipment en route to a receiving facility.

Mobile Intensive Care Units are highly specialized units, providing services that routine ground units are unable to provide. The units are manufactured with the critical patient in mind. These units have to meet stringent state specifications. The MICU crew, as well, must meet advanced training requirements in trauma, medical and cardiac settings.

The LIFE MICU was brought on line to service critical patients and the facilities that both transfer and receive them. The new COBRA and EMTALA laws have instituted responsibilities upon the pre-hospital and receiving hospitals, to not only provide the maximum emergency care available, but to insure that the patient receives tertiary care as quickly and safely as possible. Unfortunately, some areas are not equipped to deal with transfers that involve critical care drips, invasive monitoring, ventilator support, and other intensive care procedures. The solution has often been to send the hospital nursing staff in an ALS (advanced life support) unit that does not offer the above services and possibly may be out of the scope of practice for the paramedic. While it is true that a 70% solution to an immediate problem is often better than nothing, it can present a liability to both the sending facility and the transporting agency under EMTALA laws.

The Life MICU proposes to fill the gap in the above patient transfers by providing the skills listed above and many others. We pride ourselves on making sure our MICU crew members remain up to date on their training and education in advanced patient care.

The Life Mobile Units are manufactured and equipped to meet, and are often above, state standards. They are built to travel in a variety of weather conditions and have options such as on board generators that operate independently of the vehicle engine.

Our commitment matches our enthusiasm to make the Life MICU team the best on the road and we look forward in assisting you in the continuity of care for your critical patients..