CVMC’s Neonatal Transport service was formed in 2006 and continues to transport critically ill infants to and from our Level III NICU. Utilizing a state-of-the-art ambulance specifically designed for infants, the transport provides services to neighboring towns like Boone, Wilkesboro, Lenoir, Lincolnton, and Statesville. The transport service allows expert neonatal care closer to home for Catawba Valley families in need of a Level III NICU.

The Neonatal Transport service is under the guidance and direction of our doctors and is staffed by specially trained NICU nurses and respiratory therapists.

The CVMC Neonatal Transport Team:

• Transports infants in need of critical care for a variety of reasons (including low birth weight, respiratory distress, NAS and/or infections present at birth) from neighboring facilities to CVMC’s Level III NICU, which offers a higher level of specialized care
• Delivers care by highly trained respiratory therapists and NICU registered nurses
• Provides services to and from facilities as far north as the Virginia state line, as far south as Gaston County, as far west as McDowell County, and as far east as Forsyth County
• Offers specialty transport that provides high frequency jet ventilation and nitric oxide administration on board
• Benefits infants and their parents by keeping them as close to home as possible
• Allows infant admission to CVMC’s Level III NICU staffed by registered nurses, registered respiratory therapists, neonatal nurse practitioners and board certified neonatalogists

Catawba Valley Medical Center, in conjunction with Catawba Women’s Center, is now able to accept maternal transfers from area hospitals to facilitate immediate access to our Level III NICU for high risk mothers and infants.

This team of care providers for high-risk pregnancies includes 8 Board Certified OB-GYN physicians from Catawba Women’s Center, 2 Neonatologists, 6 Certified Nurse Midwives and 6 Neonatal Nurse Practitioners. Additional services include physical therapist consults for women on bedrest, lactation consultants available seven days a week, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists for in-patient consults and Level II ultrasounds available two-three days per week.

High-risk patients should be considered for care at CVMC if they are/have:

• 22 weeks gestation or greater
• In early labor with complications
• Preterm ruptured membranes and no labor

Certain high risk conditions will require services beyond those available at CVMC including:

• Women in need of a platelet transfusion
• Women with hematology complications including Von Willebrands & hemophilia