Pediatric Ground Transport
Overview
The Pediatric Transport Team at West Virginia University’s Children’s Hospital offers a state-of-the-art mobile intensive care unit that transports critically ill pediatric patients from referral sites throughout West Virginia and surrounding areas to WVU Children’s Hospital in Morgantown.
We are the only transport team in Northern West Virginia dedicated exclusively to children. We can administer care from the most basic to the highly advanced with our mobile intensive care unit.
The Team is available 24/7 for rapid response to requests for medical transport. We serve a patient population ranging from newborn to age 18.
A Unique Service
Medical Transportation of children over substantial distances involves distinct challenges and requires specially trained teams of healthcare professionals.
Our goal is to bring intensive care nursing and respiratory care services to the referring institution, and then maintain a fully supportive environment for the patient during the period of travel to Morgantown. The team serves children who require intensive monitoring and continuation of intensive care therapies while en route to WVU.
- Our unique dispatch center is staffed by transport RN’s who can immediately mobilize the team and assist in coordinating your referral from beginning to end.
- The equipment we use is designated specifically for children.
- The team is made of transport nurses and registered respiratory therapists with extensive training in the critical care environment.
Equipment
The critical care transport team uses the most up-to-date equipment available, including invasive and non-invasive cardio-respiratory monitoring, ventilators, emergency medications, and chest drainage systems.
Physicians
The physician staff of WVU Children’s Hospital is composed of fellowship trained pediatric critical care physicians who work closely with community pediatricians in all aspects of patient transport. Pediatric intensivists from WVU Children’s Hospital consult on every patient with the referring healthcare provider.
Registered Nurses
The transport team nurses have experience in pediatric intensive care as well as extensive training in pediatric transport. All transport team nurses are certified in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
Registered Respiratory Therapists
The transport team also utilized Registered Respiratory Therapists. They have experience in pediatric critical care along with intensive training in transports.
Emergency Medical Technicians
The transport team is assisted by emergency medical technicians. They are specially trained in driving the ambulance and are an integral part of the clinical team.
The pediatric ground transport team at West Virginia University Children’s Hospital is available 24 hours a day for consultation and transport.
You can request the Pediatric Transport Team by calling (888) 285-PICU (7428).
The Pediatric Transport Team can also be reached through the MARS Hotline at: (304) 598-6000 or (800) WVA-MARS.
Preparing the Patient for Transport
When arranging for patient transport via the Transport Team of WVU Children’s Hospital, please have this information available:
- Patient name
- Age
- Diagnosis, presenting problem, or mode of injury
- Vital signs
- Pertinent laboratory / diagnostic data
- Treatment received
- Contact phone number