Access and Transfer (Transport) Center

How to Arrange for a Transport of a Patient

When you are ready to arrange for transportation of your patient or child, please have the following information available and call us at 888-631-2452.

• Patient name and date of birth
• Purpose of the transport
• Chief diagnosis
• Patient condition
• Patient location

About the Access Center

We utilize advanced technologies and systems for dispatch for in-bound and out-bound patients. The Center is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by transportation coordinators, inpatient admission specialists and registered nurses at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Working in collaboration with the transport team and the referring physician, we will coordinate the transport. Our calls are triaged by trained and registered paramedics or emergency nurses.

About the Transport Program

The Alan Purwin Emergency Transport Program is a comprehensive and specialized transport service that safely transfers patients with life-threatening conditions or injuries that require specialized medical care in California, across the country and internationally.

The hospital’s dedicated emergency transport team provides transfer to and from the hospital by air (operated by Helinet services), ground, as well as transfers between two referring hospitals. Upon notification, the transport coordinator will contact the attending referring physician to determine the most appropriate mode of transfer.

We also offer third party transportation for hospitals who would like to work with our hospital to transport a patient.

Statistics

Founded in 1985, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Emergency Transport Program performs more than 2,200 transports per year.

• The Access and Transfer Center receives and triages more than 3,000 emergency referral calls per year.
• The Access and Transfer Center is part of a premier freestanding pediatric hospital with a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit.

Services We Offer

The team can mobilize and use one of the following modes of transportation:

• Two customized neonatal/pediatric ambulances (ground ambulances)
• One twin-engine Sikorsky S-76 helicopter with multiple landing sites

The Emergency Transport team is available 24/7 and provides transportation to and from Children’s Hospital to in North America and various international countries. 

Our Team

Our team members of highly trained and highly specialized staff includes physicians, critical care transport nurses, therapists, critical-care paramedics and EMTs work closely with the dispatch team to quickly and properly assess the appropriate care for the patient. All of our nurses are credentialed for advanced practice. Additionally, our nurses are trained in and specialize in neopediatric transfers through the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can parents accompany their child during the transport? 
Yes, one parent can accompany a child and we encourage that a parent or guardian travel with the patient. Due to weight limitations during the transfer, we can only allow one person to travel with the patient.

Does the transport team pick up patients from accident scenes? 
No, we do not offer this service at this time.

Does the transport team pick up patients from their homes? 
No, we do not offer this service at this time.

What are some of your team's accomplishments?

• We pioneered the use of inhaled nitric oxide for newborns as a bridging device until advanced interventions such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be initiated.
• We research the effects of cerebral perfusion pressure and oxygenation during the use of various transport modalities, transition of high-frequency ventilation to conventional ventilation during transport.
• We successfully transitioned neonates off high-frequency ventilation to conventional ventilation during transport.