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Critical Care Transport

Critical Care Transport Service Overview

Our Critical Care Transport team coordinates and provides ground transport services for neonatal and pediatric patients who require critical care or specialty care at Seattle Children’s, or any other facility in the Western Washington region.

We also coordinate air transport, giving area providers a single point of entry for all pediatric patient transfers whether they are by ground or air. Our specialty team can also provide clinical care on flights transporting neonatal patients outside of Western Washington (currently only for neonatal patients).

We are the only pediatric and neonatal critical care transport service in Western Washington that transfers patients to any facility, regardless of destination (not just to Seattle Children’s).

Patient conditions that may require Critical Care Transport:

  • Prematurity
  • Acutely ill medical or surgical patients
  • Cardiac conditions, either in a newborn or previously diagnosed or repaired patient
  • Asthma or other respiratory abnormalities
  • Patients requiring ventilator support or needing any medications to support their stability
  • Patients requiring medication infusion to maintain blood pressure or other vital functions (insulin)
  • Any medical condition requiring intensive monitoring or intervention during the transfer

How to Request Transport

To request a transfer to Seattle Children’s or transport to another designated medical facility, call 206-987-5437 (KIDS).

  • If you are located within Seattle Children’s and would like to arrange a transport, dial ext. 7-5437 (7-KIDS).
  • For Level I trauma, contact Harborview Transfer Center: 888-731-4731.
  • For general questions and more information, call 206-987-8698.

Please be ready to provide the patient’s name, age, gender and a brief clinical report (vitals and any treatments).

A transport coordinator dedicated to handling transports and transfers will work closely with you to mobilize the transport team, discuss transport options, discuss the availability of a bed (if the request is to be transferred to Seattle Children’s) and plan for interim stabilization. 

What to Expect: Transport Process

Prior to transport:

  • Obtain consent from receiving facility/providers.
  • Inform and obtain consent from family to transport to Seattle Children’s (or other facility) by ground or air.
  • Inform family that one family member may often ride along in the ambulance or fixed-wing aircraft (at pilot’s discretion, based on safety), but the final decision is up to the team.

Request a transport or transfer by calling 206-987-5437 (KIDS)

  • Be ready to provide the patient’s name, age, gender and a brief clinical report (vitals and any treatments).
  • The transport coordinator will conference in the appropriate supervising transport physician for the patient’s condition. They may ask additional questions or give advice on caring for the patient while Transport is en route. You will receive an estimated time of arrival.      

When we arrive:

You’ll provide an update on the patient. We’ll work with you to stabilize the patient and address any urgent needs. We’ll consult/notify by phone again with our medical command supervisor and prepare the patient for transport. 

Please be ready to provide the following to the transport nurse:

  • Patient’s medical record
  • Transfer summary
  • Lab data, including numbers to call for pending results
  • Radiographic studies (copies, originals or CDs)
  • Name, phone and fax numbers of physicians involved in the patient’s care to ensure communication upon arrival at Seattle Children’s

After transport

We’ll call you to let you know we made it back to the hospital and give a brief update on how transport went and the status of the patient. Typically, within 72 hours we will give you an update on the patient’s condition and what steps are next in their treatment.   

Our Team

Our core team consists of critical care transport nurses, respiratory therapists and EMTs. Additional team members may include neonatologists, pediatric critical care physicians, cardiac intensivists, emergency medicine physicians, pediatric hospitalists and advanced practice providers. 

Leadership

Chris Baker
Nurse Manager, Transport Team
Phone: 206-987-8698
Email

Tony Woodward, MD, MBA
Chief, Division of Emergency Medicine
Phone: 206-987-1371
Email