OU Health Air Kids: Lifesaving Neonatal and Pediatric Transport in Oklahoma
When a child’s life hangs in the balance, every second counts. For families in Oklahoma and the surrounding region, especially those in rural communities, the Air Kids One team at Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health provides a lifeline in critical moments. As the only dedicated neonatal/pediatric transport team in Oklahoma, Air Kids One provides urgent care and quick stabilization for the state's most fragile patients.
The team is equipped with a state-of-the-art medical helicopter and ambulance to ensure that the smallest and most fragile patients receive the urgent care they need, no matter where they are in Oklahoma.
But more importantly, the Air Kids One team is made up of highly trained registered nurses, nationally registered paramedics, EMT/EMT-P drivers and pilots. One thing they all have in common is a passion to help critically ill children of Oklahoma.
The History of Air Kids One
The first medical helicopters to transport critically ill infants took flight over the OU Health campus in 1980. It later broadened to include other patients. In 2008, the first dedicated neonatal flight crew was established at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital and those services were contracted out. In 2022 Air Kids One received a new helicopter as well as adding pediatric providers under Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. The team then started taking care of pediatric and adolescent patients alongside the neonatal population. The team provides critical care for infants and children from 24 weeks gestation up to 16 years.
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurses Jaycea Averill, BSN, R.N., C-NPT, and Regan McQuaid BSN, R.N., C-NPT, were among the first nurses to join the flight team in 2022 when it expanded into pediatrics. Prior to joining the team, Jaycea and Regan spent three years working with critically ill children in the PICU.
A Lifesaving Mission
The Air Kids team operates around the clock, 365 days a year, ready to respond to emergencies involving neonatal and pediatric patients. Their mission is simple — to provide rapid, specialized transport and care to children in critical condition. Whether it's a premature baby needing immediate neonatal intensive care or a child with life-threatening injuries, the Air Kids team is there.
The Air Kids program aims to bring the hospital to the patient. The medical helicopters, such as Air Kids One, are equipped with advanced medical technology that transforms them into mobile intensive care units. From the moment the team arrives, they can begin providing the same level of care that the child would receive in the hospital.
“A lot of our population comes from rural Oklahoma where the local hospitals don’t have an ICU and many have limited resources or doctors trained to treat critically ill babies and children,” said Reagan. “We are like an ICU on wheels — we begin care as soon as we arrive.”
Jaycea explained that there is a significant amount of research that shows that having a neonatal or pediatric specific team providing care before transporting the child can decrease their hospital stay. That may mean they take a bit longer to reach Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, but the initial treatment ensures the kids are arriving as safely and as stabilized as possible.
Air Kids One transports all critically ill patients to Oklahoma Children's Hospital Level I Pediatric Trauma Center or the PICU for specialty evaluation.
Training and Expertise
The Air Kids training is intense and includes specialized courses in neonatal and pediatric advanced airway placement, resuscitation, and stabilization techniques.
Nurses require three years of ICU experience in the NICU, PICU or Level 1 Pediatric emergency room. Paramedics require three years of paramedic experience, and flight experience is preferred. New team members undergo a structured orientation, including rotations in various units and skill checks.
The training ensures that the nurses are prepared to handle the most critical situations with expertise and immediacy. Ongoing learning and improvement are vital to provide the highest standard of care to young patients.
Providing Care
On average, Air Kids One transports around 70 to 100 critically ill infants and children each month. Last year the team performed 975 transports and are on track to do well over 1,000 this year. Regan said that each team will usually make two to three call outs per shift, with 75% of call outs for neonatal patients.
Some of the most common calls they respond to include:
- Respiratory Distress: Conditions like severe asthma, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis.
- Cardiac Issues: Congenital heart defects and other heart-related emergencies.
- Neurological Conditions: Seizures, traumatic brain injuries, and other neurological emergencies.
- Premature Birth Complications: Issues related to premature birth, such as underdeveloped organs.
- Severe Infections: Life-threatening infections that require immediate and specialized care.
During the winter months they respond to a large number of critical respiratory conditions.
Facing Challenges
Working on the Air Kids One team is incredibly rewarding.
“To attend to a child who is extremely sick and do everything possible to get them to a better place is what we aim for,” said Jaycea. “But to see them going home to live their best life with their parents, after a long stay in the ICU is so rewarding, and that’s why we do our jobs.”
But the job is also emotionally challenging. The team deals with some of the most vulnerable and critically ill children, which can be heart-wrenching. The nature of emergency transport means that team members often work under intense pressure to stabilize and save young lives.
“We're all parents on this team and we give the care that we would want our own children to have,” explained Regan. “We give it our all and sometimes the kids are so sick that it's just not enough. I think the hardest thing is disconnecting because we put our heart and soul into each and every one of these patients and it’s so hard to disconnect from that when we end our shift.”
The team is close-knit, and they lean on one another for support and counsel when they are feeling the pressure.
Despite the challenges of the job, the team's dedication makes a difference in the lives of so many young patients.
Air Kids One Team at OU Health
The tripartite mission of OU Health, which focuses on clinical care, teaching, and research, sets the stage for the Air Kids team to thrive. By prioritizing world-class patient care and nationally recognized doctors and surgeons, the team has access to the best medical practices and resources, ensuring that children receive exceptional care and support.
"When I transport a child to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, I can look the family in the eyes and confidently tell them that the surgeon or doctor who will be treating their child is the best there is," shared Regan.
Being part of an academic health system means the Air Kids team is constantly learning and improving. They take advantage of ongoing professional development and the newest techniques in pediatric care. Plus, with a big focus on research, they stay up to date with the latest treatments and therapies.
The Air Kids One team at OU Health is all about saving lives. Their dedication to providing excellent medical care and support means every child they transport has the best chance at a healthy future. For families going through tough times, the Air Kids team is more than just a medical service — they're heroes in the sky.
