Poudre Valley Health System has received a $68,650 grant to help pay for an ambulance specially designed for bariatric patients.

The grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will help pay for an ambulance geared specifically for safely transporting overweight patients, an increasingly pressing concern for ambulance providers.

The new ambulance, which is 14 feet wide instead of the standard 12 feet, will help safely move and treat obese patients with dignity and reduce the risk of injury or interruption of care.

“Outfitting our EMS system to handle bariatric patients is an investment in safety for both our employees and patients,” said Herb Brady, manager of PVHS ambulance services.

The new ambulance will provide additional room for patients, medical staff and bariatric equipment.

The new bariatric ambulance will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for dispatch throughout Northern Colorado. This will be the only ambulance in Northern Colorado specifically designed to transport bariatric patients.
PVHS EMS transported four to five bariatric patients a month in 2008.

The grant will pay for half of the $137,300 ambulance; PVHS will pay for the rest.

Poudre Valley Hospital is a Bariatric Center of Excellence and the leading provider of bariatric surgery in the region.