WASHINGTON — The Health Care District of Palm Beach County invites the media to a ribbon cutting event on Jan. 27,  at 10 a.m. at Lakeside Medical Center in Belle Glade to officially mark the launch of the District’s new LifeTrans Ground Ambulance Program. This interfacility ambulance transportation program is dedicated to reducing wait times and expanding access to care in Palm Beach County. The two ambulances, Apollo and Atlas, are 24/7 emergency medical service providers for advanced life support (ALS) and basic life support (BLS) interfacility transport services, as well as secondary ALS transport services.

One of the ambulances is based at the Health Care District’s rural, teaching hospital in Belle Glade to support the safe and rapid transport of Lakeside Medical Center patients who need access to a higher level of care. The other is based at the District’s skilled nursing home, the Edward J. Healey Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Riviera Beach. The ground ambulance program is limited to Health Care District patients needing transport within our medical centers’ network or to facilities within Palm Beach County that provide a higher level of care. This includes the transfer of patients from county hospitals to specialized treatment centers like the Addiction Stabilization Unit (ASU) at HCA Florida JFK North Hospital in West Palm Beach.