Neonatal & Pediatric Transport

Transport Teams

CHRISTUS Health emergency transport teams are capable of transporting critically ill neonates, infants and pediatric patients ranging from small infants to adolescents suffering from a wide variety of illnesses and injuries. Our team has the ability to transport our patients by ground ambulance, helicopter, or fixed-wing aircraft. Depending on the child’s condition and location, our team utilizes all of these carriers to facilitate rapid response to referring facilities throughout the surrounding areas.

Pediatric Transport

The Pediatric Transport Team is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week specialty team dedicated to transporting critically ill infants and children from referring hospitals and clinics throughout San Antonio and South Central Texas. 

Since its inception in 1990, the Pediatric Transport Team has completed more than 10,000 missions. Providing the highest level of safe transport expertise with modern, state-of-the-art designed pediatric equipment, the team serves more than 35 surrounding South Central Texas counties and completes more than 500 patient transports in a year.

Our transport team offers a high level of expertise on each and every transport. Available every day, around the clock, the pediatric transport team is comprised of a registered nurse and registered respiratory therapist, both with extensive pediatric critical care experience. If needed, a pediatric intensivist is available. The team follows established medical protocols and is overseen by a board-certified physician in pediatric critical care medicine.

Neonatal Transport

CHRISTUS Health has a dedicated Neonatal Transport Team available 24 hours a day to transport critically ill neonates and infants. The Team consists of 24 neonatal nurse specialists who work directly under the supervision of an in-house neonatologist.

CHRISTUS Health Neonatal Transport Team has been transporting infants since 1970. Since then, we have successfully transported over 10,500 infants. Each transport is serviced by at least two RNs skilled in intubation, UVC placement, and needle thoracotomy. The Team has the capability of transporting infants on conventional and high-frequency ventilation with the use of inhaled nitric oxide. We also utilize cooling therapy during transport for newborns who have suffered a hypoxic-ischemic event.

Our team prides itself on its quick response time utilizing three modes of transportation including ambulance, helicopter, and fixed-wing services. We have a reputation for providing exceptional care in the stabilization of the most critically ill infants.

Outreach

The Neonatal and Pediatric Transport Teams offer free education to our referring facilities.

  • Stabilization and Transfer of the Pediatric Patient
  • Pediatric Assessment; High-Risk Assessment
  • Thermoregulation
  • ABG Interpretation
  • CBC Interpretation
  • ECMO/Cooling New Horizons
  • Asphyxia, Brain Perfusion, and Cooling Therapy
  • Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension and INO Therapy
  • Retinopathy of Prematurity
  • X-ray Interpretation
  • Cardiac Principles
  • Pediatric ABCs: When the Critically Ill Child Ends Up In Your Care
  • Common Pediatric Emergencies
  • Pediatric Trauma
  • Pediatric Respiratory Emergencies
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Shock and Surviving Sepsis
  • Diabetic Ketoacidosis
  • Toxicology and Toxidromes

CHRISTUS Health has an annual transport education day at its state-of-the-art simulation lab, where hands-on skill and education are provided to all members of the transport team.

Contact the Transport Coordinators to schedule an education session at your facility.

Pediatric Transport Team Coordinator: 210-704-3831

Neonatal Transport Team Coordinator: 210-704-4786