Transport and Physician Referral Services History
1988: Children's introduces its transport program. The team transports 592 patients to the hospital during its first year.
1999: The team gets more training in intubation, advanced airway procedures, thoracentesis and arterial puncture. The team expands to include a transport nurse clinician and a respiratory therapist.
2002: The Physician Referral Center is formed. Now, referring physicians may call (800) 266-0366 to discuss tough cases and get expert advice. The center is staffed by members of the Transport Team. Since 2002, the call center has answered more than 10,000 calls.
2004: The team adds dedicated transport respiratory therapists.
2008: Nearly 1,600 patients are transported to Children's Hospital, breaking all previous records.
Today: The Transport Team continues to serve as the first link to referring staff, facilities, kids and their families. Since it began more than 20 years ago, it has transported more than 20,000 infants, children and teenagers to Children's.