ECU Health Launches Pediatric Medical Transport Helicopter

ECU Health, the James and Connie Maynard Children's Hospital, and EastCare launched North Carolina's first dedicated pediatric medical transport helicopter on Feb. 6. This aircraft brings critical care to children across eastern North Carolina. It handles hospital-to-hospital transfers.

The team transported 300 patients in 2021. By 2025, that number grew to almost 1,200. Ground transport to distant communities could take up to six hours round-trip.

Elaine Cudnik, executive director of Children's Advanced Clinical Practice, joined the health system in 2021. She partnered with Jessica Yelverton, assistant director of Children's Advanced Practice. Yelverton joined as a flight nurse in 2016 and returned as a neonatal nurse practitioner.

"Elaine and I had a vision for children's transport," said Yelverton to ECU Health. "We worked on getting the right team members, and then we looked to expand from smaller children and neonates to full pediatric care for pediatric patients."

Yelverton set up an onboarding program for team members. Both leaders focused on getting specialty equipment. They also offered education on advanced care procedures.

The team tracked volumes, dispatch times, and turnaround times as transports increased. They had been borrowing helicopters from EastCare. This took those aircraft out of rotation.

"Now we won't need to borrow helicopters from EastCare as often, which takes them out of their rotation," said Angela Hollis, a flight nurse with the Children's Transport Team. "It means we can help patients who need quick, critical care, and fewer patients will have to wait for transport."