Neonatal and pediatric specialty transport services

Children’s Health℠ provides neonatal and pediatric specialty transport services, including specialized air and ground transport for children and premature infants. Patients transported by a specialty team have fewer unplanned events during transport and improved outcomes. For this reason, we will be there when you and your patients need us. Research shows that neonatal and pediatric patients transported by a specialty team have fewer unplanned events during transport and improved outcomes. For this reason, we will be there when you and your patients need us.

In recognition of its rapid response to a serious traffic accident that helped save the lives of several children, the Neonatal/Pediatric Transport Team at Children’s Health is the 2022 recipient of the Helicopter Association International Salute to Excellence Golden Hour Award. Children’s Health, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, transported more than 5,000 patients in 2023.

The Children’s Health Transport team is an industry leader that is staffed by multidisciplinary professionals offering decades of nationally recognized neonatal and pediatric transport expertise.

We aim to provide the highest quality of care, including:

• Regional, national and international patient transports

• A variety of transport vehicles to provide an urgent and appropriate response, including:

  • 12 neonatal/pediatric-equipped ambulances

  • 1 Citation Encore jet

  • 1 Sikorsky S76 C++ helicopter

  • 4 behavioral health vehicles

• Specially equipped vehicles and aircrafts that can accommodate critical care needs, including:

  • Nitric oxide

  • High-frequency ventilation

  • Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)

  • Therapeutic cooling of the neonate

• An infectious disease response team

• The ability for a family member to accompany the patient on most transports

• Critical care nurses, registered respiratory therapists and paramedic team availability 

• Available for third-party transfers between two facilities 

Program overview

Staffed with a dedicated critical care team 24 hours a day, Transport Services coordinates all aspects of transfers and transports. From the time transport is requested, an attending physician from Children’s Health will provide ongoing medical advice while the transport team mobilizes.

Children’s Health Transport Services was the first neonatal/pediatric team in the nation to receive the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems’ (CAMTS) accreditation in all three modes of transport – ground, helicopter and fixed-wing. Transport team members are required to have a variety of certifications, including BLS, ACLS, PALS and NRP, as well as advanced trauma certifications such as ATCN, ATLS or TNCC and transport specialty certifications.

Our Transport team provides multidisciplinary care and can manage a wide variety of diagnoses and complications throughout transport. The team is supported by board-certified physicians in specialties such as neonatology, critical care, emergency care and trauma.

Rotorwing services provided by PHI Air Medical, Fixed wing services provided by SevenBar Aviation

Our access center

One phone call to the Children’s Health Access Center at 888-730-DOCS (3627) is all it takes to mobilize our Transport team. Upon receiving a call, our Communication Specialists will arrange transport or admission with the accepting physician.

The referring physician will determine the best mode of transportation based on the patient’s location and acuity (ambulance, helicopter or jet). One family member may accompany the patient on any mode of transport. Upon arrival at the facility, our team will immediately begin care. The Children’s Health Access Center is staffed with in-house National Association of Air Communication Specialists (NAACS) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

When requesting a transfer to Children’s Health, please provide as much of the following patient information as possible:

• Patient name and date of birth (or gestational age if applicable)

• Purpose of transport

• Current diagnosis

• Vital signs

• Respiratory status and ventilator support

• Current medications

• Patient condition

type: entry-hyperlink id: link-4ada5d8d80dd6f8b26044a877516852f048637a9

Our transport team

• Care begins at first contact with the Access Center at Children’s Health

• Our team is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Service (CAMTS)

  • All team members are trained in the care of neonatal, pediatric patients and are prepared to handle a wide range of patient needs

• Requires all RNs and RRTs to be licensed as dual credentialed EMTs or paramedics

• Experienced with high-frequency, jet ventilation and inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and ECMO and therapeutic cooling of neonate

• Utilizes ventilators capable of multiple modes of ventilation that are appropriate for neonatal and pediatric patients

• Communicates with neonatal and pediatric specialists at Children’s Health 24 hours a day

• Ambulances and crews based in Dallas and Plano

  • Traveled more than five million ground miles without major incident

  • Travel more than 400,000 ground miles annually

type: entry-hyperlink id: assetmedia-e4e95590c68b3fd02c0a19b3b87fe3b266ffb191

• type: entry-hyperlink id: assetmedia-a3673a380074f6171c034f52924a4034dbb25a43

• type: entry-hyperlink id: assetmedia-568707bbee2af600c59bd27b397a67dae7c493ac

Behavioral health transportation

• We offer a behavioral health patient transport service to accepting inpatient psychiatric facilities via a modified non-ambulance vehicle as part of our patient care transfer services. Patients must meet specific eligibility criteria as determined by medical providers to be transported via this service. Patients requiring ambulatory assistive devices (e.g., wheelchairs) may require transport via a medically equipped vehicle such as our traditional ground ambulances

• View the Children’s Health type: entry-hyperlink id: assetmedia-e05b4a5ef242528c2c67a00ea44e044227c30f08 for intoxicating substances. To report complaints to the City of Dallas, call  311

Our vehicles

Ambulances

• Twelve custom-built, owned and operated ambulances featuring:

  • Specialty neonatal, pediatric and ECMO equipment which is secured during all transit

• Horton ambulances mounted on Ford F-550 chassis

• Liquid spring struts – a suspension system designed to provide a smoother ride for our most fragile patients

• Power load stretcher system – a fastener system that boost safety by supporting the stretcher throughout the loading and unloading process. The stretcher also bolts into the floor for reduced stretcher release risk.

• Ground school and driving course required annually for all personnel

• Five-point harness with retractable restraints to allow all medical crew to stay restrained during transport while still providing quality patient care

• Back up and blind spot cameras

• Auxiliary generator power for electrical, heating and cooling

• Global positioning system

• Wi-Fi for electronic charting and telemedicine capabilities

Helicopter

• Sikorsky S76C++ 

• 2 pilot operations

• Multi-engine aircraft

• State-of-the-art avionics

• Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTAWS)

• Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)

• Four axis autopilot

• High-tech weather radar and GPS tracking

• Multi-channel radio and satellite phone

• Maximum capacity of 2 patients, 3-person medical crew and parent as situation dictates.

Jet

• Citation Encore

• 2 pilot operations

• Multi-engine aircraft

• Straight wing design for shorter runways

• Increased fuel capacity and fuel-efficient engines resulting in greater range

• 2 patient capability

• Intercom system for enhanced communication with pilots

• Satellite phone

Education outreach

The Transport team at Children’s Health offers educational outreach opportunities for health care providers. To contact the Transport team at Children’s Health for community outreach or hospital education programs, please call 214-456-2975.