About CHET
WHOM DO WE TRANSPORT:
Kids birth to age 18+.
WHAT WE DO:
Provide 24-hour emergency pediatric critical care transport and consultation services for more than 1,100 pediatric transports every year.
WHERE DO WE GO:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Physician Offices
HOW:
- Just one phone call to 858-277-3404 (emergency transport line directly to the PICU charge nurse).
WHEN:
- Team mobilized within 10 minutes
- ALS* Team: 24 hours a day/seven days a week
- MD + ALS Team: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Team mobilized within 30 minutes.MD + ALS Team: Monday-Friday 5 .a.m..-8 a.m. and all day Saturday and Sunday
LOCATED:
- Southern California
- San Diego County
- Imperial County
- Riverside County
- and other areas by request
DIAGNOSIS CATEGORIES:
- Respiratory 39%
- Neurologic 21%
- Sepsis/Fever/GI 8%
- Trauma 11%
- Ingestions 4%
- Cardiac 4%
- Foreign Body Aspiration 2%
- Near Drowning 1%
- Misc Other 10%
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT:
Bi-monthly CHET M&M (First Friday of even months 730-830 a.m.)
ADMINISTRATION:
- Clinical Medical Director: Brad Peterson, M.D.
- Administrative Medical Director: Herb Kimmons, M.D.
- Clinical Program Coordinator: Dana Patrick, R.N.
*ALS Team - 70% of all Transports
Personnel Eligibility:
- Must have minimum of five years PICU experience
- R.N.s and RCPs must be PALS certified
- Agrees to all modes of Transport (helicopter, fixed-wing airplane and ground)
- Schedule flexibility required
- Agrees to accept shared responsibility for ALS/CHET program success
(Team philosophy is to work together to provide ALS coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week)
Registered Nurses:
Must be experienced PICU and CHET RN (minimum five years PICU experience)
Must have TNCC (Trauma Nurse Core Course – National Emergency Nurse Association Certification)
Respiratory Care Practitioners:
Must be experienced PICU and CHET RT
(minimum five years PICU experience)
Trauma certified
Selection:
Application
Interview Panel
ALS Team and PICU Medical Team (Attendings, Fellows, PNPs) written evaluation of the following: Clinical Skills, Leadership skills, Professionalism, Self-development and Teamwork
Training:
All ALS R.N.s and RTs must successfully complete the same training program.
48 hours didactic training with final written and performance exams (minimum scores required for written exam; must pass performance evaluation)
Clinical Training - by PCCNPs and Senior Fellows on Transport
ALL Team members must exhibit clinical competency during orientation and on semi-annual basis with the following skills:
- Endotracheal Intubation
- X-ray Interpretation
- R.N.s must obtain and document History and Physical
- RCPs must complete and document complete physical patient assessment, including VS and on-going reassessment
- Extensive knowledge of all CHET medications
- Needle Thoracentesis
- External Jugular Vein cannulation
- Intraosseous needle insertion
- Peripheral IV insertion expert
- Defibrillation
- Extensive knowledge of all CHET equipment
- Helicopter (Mercy Air) Safety check and competency (annual)
- Fixed wing (Critical Air) Safety Checks (annual)
- Ground Ambulance safety (annual)
