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Transport
When a child’s life may possibly hang in the balance, there is no time to lose. For more than two decades, St. Christopher’s has provided transport services for critically ill and/or neonatal and pediatric patients who need the intensive care or other specialized capabilities only a pediatric hospital offers. These are children who may require medical and surgical treatment for trauma, congenital heart disease or burns.
Performing approximately 4,100 transports annually by ambulance or helicopter within the Tri-State region, the Transport Team is led by a Medical Director, Nursing Director, Transport Clinical Coordinator and Educator. The team also includes nurses who have expertise in pediatric and/or neonatal intensive care, pediatric emergency medicine, trauma and critical care transport. Their certifications include Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC), Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC) and Pre-Hospital Registered Nurse (PHRN). Highly educated paramedics that are certified in PALS and ACLS perform vital, complementary functions.
Team members’ clinical experience involves the PICU, NICU, CICU and Emergency Department and they must become experts in a wide variety of critical care procedures. Every year, each team member must complete a competency test and participate in a computerized simulation lab with the Transport Medical Director and a Critical Care attending physician.
In a transport situation, the referring physician speaks directly with the medical control physician to provide information and receive recommendations for patient management until the team arrives. And during the transport, the team communicates directly with the medical control physician to discuss management and disposition.
Transport personnel have no other patient-care responsibilities, enabling them to respond very rapidly, which is key because in life-threatening situations, every moment is critical.
For more information, call (215) 427-6900.
Meet the Team
St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia has a highly qualified team of board-certified experts who are specially trained to work with the individual and unique needs of infants and pediatric patients.
The team is led by Christopher Haines, DO, FAAP, FACEP, Medical Director, Transport Team.
