Neonatal & Pediatric Transport

Infants and children come to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital by ambulance and helicopter from all over Missouri and Illinois. Many of these children are brought to the hospital by using our specially trained Neonatal and Pediatric Transport Team.

The Transport Team is made up of paramedics, registered nurses and respiratory therapists who have advanced training in the stabilization, treatment and transport of babies and children. Medical direction is provided by neonatologist Noah Hillman, MD and pediatric emergency medicine physician John Peter, MD.

The Transport Team services over 120 hospitals in the bistate and beyond. They are readily available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to bringing children to the Dan Dierdorf Level I Pediatric Emergency and Trauma Center, the Dana Brown Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the state-of-the-art Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon, the transport teams also assist with inter-hospital transports within their respective regions.

A Tradition of Excellence

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon established St. Louis' first Neonatal Transport Team in 1979. Comprised of RNs, RRTs, and Neonatologist, the Team was exclusively neonatal until the 1991 when a separate pediatric service was added. The neonatal and pediatric teams were combined in 1996 and transitioned to RN / RRT staffing. Paramedics were added in 2013 and a dedicated staffing model was adopted in 2020. Physicians remain active with the Team performing online medical direction, monthly chart reviews, and annual patient care guideline updates.

In 2019, SSM Health Cardinal Glennon achieved and is now designated as a Magnet® hospital. This is the highest national honor in nursing excellence and incorporates evidence-based practices to provide the best patient care. Transport Team members are actively involved with evidence-based practice projects. Since 2015, Members have poster / podium presented for the national meetings of the AAP Section on Transport Medicine, ANA Quality Conference, Current Concepts in Neonatal and Pediatric Transport, and the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association.

Stationed Across the Region for Faster, Better Access

The Transport Team completes over 1,600 annual transports by ground and air from their Missouri bases of St. Louis, Chesterfield and Cape Girardeau, MO. The Team has recently added a fleet of new Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICUs). These MICUs provide a custom platform to deliver Glennon-quality care in a kid friendly environment. Glennon 1 (EC 135) allows for a safe and rapid deployment of the Team and minimizes transport time for our critical patients.

Our partners in providing the best transportation when it matters most include:

• Abbott Ambulance
• Air Methods
• Marion County Ambulance District
• North Scott County Ambulance District

In addition to bringing children to the Dan Dierdorf Level I Pediatric Emergency and Trauma Center, the Dana Brown Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the state-of-the-art Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon, the transport teams also assist with inter-hospital transports within their respective regions.

Advanced Training

Our clinicians are required to complete advanced ongoing training including multiple weeks of 3rd rider transports, simulation scenarios, and advanced airway management.