Feel Prepared for Pediatric Patient Transport
If your child needs access to Cincinnati Children’s, you can rely on our Transport Team to get you there (and home) safely and quickly. Some children require emergency medical transport, while others have planned or scheduled transports. Learn what to expect for a scheduled transport.
1. Your Hospital Requests a Transport.
Many times, before you work with us, your child is receiving care at another hospital. Your doctor may refer you to Cincinnati Children’s.
To request transport, the hospital calls our Transfer Center. We have consultants ready to help determine exactly what type of transportation your child needs.
2. We Assemble Your Team.
Medical transport requires a quick response. As soon as our team receives the call, we begin evaluating details such as your child’s condition and the distance involved to ensure we assemble the right team to provide clinical care to your child. We also determine the most appropriate mode of transport to provide timely access to the care your child needs.
Before we arrive, you’ll know our plan for your child’s care, including:
- What type of vehicle we’ll use.
- When your transport team is scheduled to arrive.
- Who can ride along. Our team makes every effort to have a parent or guardian accompany their child during transport. However, this depends on the patient’s clinical needs, available space, and weight-and-balance considerations. Patient safety is always our top priority.
3. You Meet Your Team and Discuss the Transport.
When our team arrives at the bedside of your child, they will introduce themselves and explain their role on the team during transport. They will walk you through the transport process and answer any questions.
Our team will receive handoff from the providers at the referring hospital and will take over clinical care. Prior to departing, our team will complete an assessment and update the physician at Cincinnati Children’s on the status of your child.
4. We Complete the Transport.
During transport, we constantly monitor your child. Our sole job is to watch your child, make sure they’re safe and intervene if needed.
We aim to keep your child calm and comfortable throughout the journey. Each vehicle has equipment specially designed for children—not adapted for them. For example, our child-friendly ambulances help ease tension for kids. They can choose to watch a video, listen to music or rest in a soothing environment.
Throughout the journey, the Transport Team communicates directly with medical staff at Cincinnati Children’s so that your care team is ready when you arrive.
