Our experienced pediatric transport team at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is just one call away. Here are the instructions for contacting us depending on who is making the call:

• Referring physicians or hospital staff. To request an emergency transport from your facility to CHOP, call 800-590-2160 to speak with one of our communication specialists.
• Specialists within CHOP. If you are located within CHOP and would like to arrange transport, dial extension 4-2160.

If you are a parent or family member with an ill or seriously injured child, call 911 for transport to the nearest hospital for initial treatment and stabilization.

What to expect when arranging transport

To ensure a smooth transition and get your patient transported as quickly and safely as possible, our expert transport team follows a consistent, standardized protocol. Each step has been streamlined to make the process as simple as possible and ensure the best possible care for your patient.

• On a recorded telephone line, one of our communications specialists will gather basic patient information.
• You will then be directly connected with an intake coordinating nurse, who will ask you for some clinical information.
• The intake nurse coordinator will discuss your patient’s case with the appropriate medical command physician to review the patient's history, discuss medical management and determine the mode of transport.
• The nurse coordinator will give you the name of the CHOP physician who will care for your patient and provide clinical recommendations and logistical information on the transport.
• The medical command physician will assist the referring physician and staff in managing the patient's care from the time of referral until the child arrives at Children's Hospital.

What we'll need from you to transport your patient

Please have the following information ready for the emergency transport team when they arrive at your facility:

• A copy of your patient’s chart and medical records
• A disc with images of all of your patient’s studies, including X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs, echocardiograms, EKGs, etc.
• A copy of all of your patient’s current laboratory data
• A medication record with times and dates of administration
• Any other pertinent information

To deliver nurse reports to the receiving nursing team, anyone from your facility can call 800-590-2160 to be connected directly with the CHOP nurse who will be receiving your patient.

Additional information

• It is not possible to give an exact time of arrival for our emergency transports. Many factors — such as weather, traffic, and other acutely ill or injured patients — can affect the process. We will provide you with an estimated time of arrival (ETA).
• Our transport team always tries to accommodate at least one parent. Sometimes it is not possible because of factors beyond our control, such as aircraft weight limitations or space availability. Patient safety comes first but we do our best to keep a parent with the child during this stressful time.

Tell us how we're doing

We want to make sure we’re providing the emergency transport services and support you need. If you’re from a referring facility and have arranged a transport to Children’s Hospital, please fill out this short survey about your experience to help us better serve you.