Neonatal transport
When newborns are ill or born early, the right team can make all the difference. Our neonatal transport team provides both ground and air transport for premature, sick and medically complex newborns who require specialized care in our NICU. The highly-skilled neonatal nurses and respiratory therapists on the transport team are available at a moment’s notice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When babies are severely ill or have unique circumstances that require extra attention, a neonatologist also accompanies the team to provide care during transport.
When our transport team isn’t in the helicopter or ambulance, they are caring for critically ill newborns in our NICU.
Care when you need it most
Our team knows time is critical for newborn babies in need of a higher level of care, and our goal is to get to the baby’s bedside ASAP. Our flight team has the ability to:
- Arrive prior to delivery to access babies as soon as they are born
- Reach remote locations, as far as three hours away from our hospital, in as little as 45 minutes
Special care for our tiniest patients
Our team is unique, just like every delicate newborn in need of our care.
- Dedicated flight and ground transport teams
- Only flight team in the state flying a neonatologist with the flight nurse and respiratory therapist (when needed)
- Only flight team in Virginia offering en route cooling to infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (brain damage due to lack of oxygen-rich blood, common during birth) using the Tecotherm Neo. This capability greatly enhances outcomes by gradually cooling a baby during their transport to our hospital. Transports without this technology do not have the ability to appropriately manage a baby’s temperature.
- Care for newborns in need of heart-lung bypass (ECMO)
- Care for newborns in need of subspecialty care (heart surgery, general surgery, lung support, etc.)
- Transport to the region’s only private-room NICU with advanced technologies in a healing environment
Preparing for transport
When a referring physician/hospital calls the transport line, we ask a number of questions to ensure that the team is prepared with all of the necessary equipment and supplies for the patient’s needs during transport. A transport nurse and physician are conferenced in to help with expert and efficient decisions based on the individual patient and situation.
Our transport team is also available for consultations with providers at other hospitals throughout the state.
Contact
804-628-6428 - Neonatal transport line (only for referrals from physicians/hospitals)
