Arranging Patient Transport

Physicians can reach and arrange transport through the ACH transport system by calling: 1-800-ACH-HELP (1-800-224-4357). That number should be used for all transport requests, neonatal and pediatric. This number will connect you to Angel One Dispatch which will quickly route your call to the appropriate receiving physician. As that discussion gets underway, the dispatch operator is mobilizing transport teams, ensuring no time is lost to unnecessary delay.

In September 2002, we took delivery of two new Sikorsky S-76 C+ aircraft. These aircraft are state of the art and totally designed for accessibility of the crew to the patient as well as ease of flying with the addition of a glass cockpit. With these helicopters, Angel One Transport has the ability to fly both aircraft in adverse weather conditions utilizing Instrument Flight Rules. This feature increases our ability to reach critically ill patients when weather would normally prevent helicopter transport. These aircraft also allow for transport of multiple patients at one time. As a strong effort to the overall comfort of our patients, a DVD player was added for those children who are able to watch in hopes to calm any fears or anxieties which might be exasperated by flight. Many times, the patients are enthralled in the movie at take-off, then lulled quickly to sleep by the vibrations of the aircraft.

With a full-time staff of 45 personnel including administration, air medical communication specialists, nurses, respiratory therapists, EMTs, mechanics and pilots, Angel One Transport has a highly diversified group of dedicated personnel. We have a 24-hour dedicated Communications Center with EMT (or higher certified) plus National Association of Air Medical Communication Specialist (NAACS) trained Communication Specialists to take all incoming requests for transport or consults. We have dedicated flight teams consisting of NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) (RN/RRT), HROB (High Risk Obstetric) (RN/RRT), PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) (RN/RRT/Physician), and ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) (ECMO Physician, Surgeon, Perfusionist, ECMO RN).

Along with basic transport training, our staff is trained in ACLS, PALS and also NRP. Our nursing staff have experience in either our PICU or NICU, depending on their specialty, as well as specific training for transport. The respiratory therapists are experienced pediatric and neonatal RTs and are also EMT certified or higher. Our ambulance drivers are all experienced EMTs or higher with a variety of other training specific to transport. The mechanics are certified airframe and powerplant mechanics with many years of experience in the aviation industry. Last but certainly not least, our pilots are commercial instrument rated and have cumulatively flown in excess of 60,000 flight hours and have 200+ years of aviation experience.

Angel One Transport covers the entire state of Arkansas and its surrounding states. This covers a radius of approximately 200 miles of Little Rock. With the ability to do mobile ECMO, this distance is extended to 300 nautical miles. On average, we transport five patients a day with an average transport time of two hours. We can reach any part of the state within one hour of departure from our hospital. We currently make more than 1,700 total transports per year with 1,200 by helicopter. Of those, approximately 800 are NICU, 600 are PICU, and six are ECMO Transports. Angel One was the first to do mobile ECMO by helicopter and in 1996 became the first pediatric program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services (CAMTS).

Recently, Angel One Transport transitioned the aviation side and began operations under our own FAA Part 135. This accomplishment further shows the dedication of Arkansas Children’s Hospital to the Angel One program.

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