Children’s National SkyBear Air Transport

SkyBear Air Transport is the helicopter transport service of Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, USA. It is a hospital programme, run by the hospital’s Division of Transport Medicine. The site says the hospital is the only one in the Washington area with a rapid air and ground transport system just for newborns, infants, children and teens.

Services

The Transport Medicine team sends ground ambulance teams or the SkyBear helicopter to referring hospitals. The teams include physicians, nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists and EMTs trained in transport medicine for children. They use pediatric sized equipment. The hospital also offers one point of contact for referring doctors, for medical advice, transport planning and admission.

Aircraft and bases

The page says SkyBear is the hospital’s helicopter service, with flight teams trained only in pediatric care. STAT MedEvac, a direct air carrier, arranges and coordinates the operation of the SkyBear ambulance services, so the aircraft are operated by that carrier. The transport team is ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Who it is for

The service is for children and newborns who need urgent care at Children’s National. The page says the team transports more than 5,000 newborns and children each year, many of them babies coming to the neonatal intensive care unit. Referring doctors use the phone line below. An Emergency Communication and Information Center coordinates the transport and admission.

Facts

• Run by Children’s National Hospital.
• Aircraft operation is coordinated by STAT MedEvac.
• Ground and air teams for newborns and children.
• Main hospital address: 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC.