Texas Children’s Transport Team Expands Intensive Care Across Texas and Beyond

The call comes in: a critically ill patient needs advanced care that her local hospital cannot provide. Within minutes, Texas Children’s Kangaroo Crew ® is dispatched to assist. A specially trained transport nurse, respiratory therapist and emergency medical technician (EMT) stabilize the patient in a state-of-the-art ambulance. The medical transport team functions as a mobile intensive care unit within 135 square feet of space while colleagues in Mission Control coordinate and secure a bed at one of our hospitals. Texas Children’s intensive care has begun before the patient physically reaches our doors. 

“Whether it’s a premature newborn with complex care needs, a child in need of critical care or transplant, an adult with congenital heart disease or a mother facing a high-risk delivery, the team is prepared to provide ICU-level care the moment our team arrives,” says Dr. Mubbasheer Ahmed, Transport Program Director. Our team travels near and far — to surrounding states and throughout the country — to transport patients who need the specialty care Texas Children’s provides that other children’s hospitals don’t offer. 

Innovation Backed by Teamwork 

This level of readiness is the result of years of investment and a commitment to growth at Texas Children’s. One recent and pivotal step forward has been uniting the Houston and Austin transfer centers with an approach to dispatch that focuses on patient proximity, scope of care and bed availability. What may sound like a procedural change has helped transform access to care across Texas. 

When Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin opened in early 2024, a mini version of Houston’s Mission Control launched as well. However, it was soon discovered that duplicate workflows sometimes delayed transfers. Now, with a single number, providers are connected to a team member who can coordinate care universally in a system also designed for flexibility mid-transport. If a patient’s condition changes, teams can reroute in real time to the campus best equipped to meet their needs. 

Uniting two centers meant building on the strengths of each team and blending technology and communication tools. Clinicians now create group chats using Epic Secure Chat every shift, sharing real-time updates and images like X-rays securely with colleagues across campuses. The speed and reliability of this HIPAA-compliant platform help the team collaborate and make decisions without delay. 

“Our goal was to create an integrated process that improves provider experience, eliminates redundant workflows, and most importantly, places the right patient in the right bed at the right time,” says Mission Control’s Medical Director Dr. Mona McPherson. 

The Kangaroo Crew: Care on the Move 

While Mission Control coordinates, the Kangaroo Crew delivers hands-on care on the road and in the air. EMTs, respiratory therapists, and nurses form highly specialized teams trained to handle the most fragile patients in transit. 

“Our EMTs are the backbone of the transport team,” says Paola Soto, a transport nurse based in Austin. “Their work is critical.” 

Their level of dedication has not gone unnoticed at Texas Children’s. Medic Nate Perez was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Michael R. Johnson Award, a recognition named after beloved teammate “Big Mike,” who lost his battle with cancer in 2024, and the highest honor a Kangaroo Crew member can receive. Nate has since advanced to assistant director of the transfer center. 

A Culture of Collaboration and Growth 

It takes extraordinary clinicians, literally willing to go the extra mile, to make the level of care Texas Children’s provides possible while on the move. Transport team members are trained to take on multiple roles to ensure seamless care. Nurses may spend one day in the field and the next in Mission Control, coordinating transfers and guiding teams through complex cases. 

“My role is a little bit of everything,” says Paola. “You’ll find that a lot of people who work on the transport team take on dual and sometimes triple roles.” 

This flexibility fosters a deep culture of collaboration and shared responsibility. Team members know firsthand the challenges their colleagues face, which strengthens trust and respect across disciplines. 

Our transport team recently celebrated their 260 combined years of service, recognizing the nurses, respiratory therapists, medics and transfer coordinators who support Texas Children’s mission year after year. One employee has served for a remarkable 35 years. 

Impact Across Texas and Beyond 

Recent investments, including the addition of our Austin-based transport services and the launch of our helicopter program, have dramatically expanded capacity. The Kangaroo Crew fleet now includes 10 ambulances, a Pilatus PC-24 Fixed Wing (jet) and a Bell 407 Rotor Wing (helicopter).  

Children and families throughout the vast state of Texas and across the United States already access care faster than ever before. Plans for further expansion of our fleet in 2026 will give Texas Children’s even greater ability to reach patients in distant cities. 

“Our Kangaroo crew are some of the most talented clinical caregivers we have at Texas Children’s. They are truly the team you want out in the community taking care of your children,” says Diesa Samp, Vice President of Texas Children’s, adding: “Every new transport vehicle or advance in technology represents more opportunities for our team to reach patients quickly and safely, wherever they are.” 

Why Clinicians Choose Transport 

For clinical caregivers seeking a career that blends critical care expertise with real-world impact, Texas Children’s transport team offers unmatched opportunities. Transport nurses, respiratory therapists, EMTs and paramedics work at the intersection of precision, innovation and compassion. 

Joining the team means: 

• Providing ICU-level care in dynamic environments. 
• Working with advanced tools and state-of-the-art aircraft. 
• Growing in roles that cross traditional boundaries, from field response to transfer coordination. 
• Being part of a culture that recognizes, supports and celebrates its workforce. 

As Paola puts it: “We’re creating a stronger transport team overall. What hasn’t changed is that our job is to get patients the care they need, as quickly as possible.” 

Join Us 

Every transfer represents a child’s chance at healing and a clinical caregiver’s opportunity to make a profound difference. At Texas Children’s, our medical transport team carries our mission forward, one patient at a time, across every mile. 

Explore careers with Texas Children’s and discover how you can help deliver world-class care — even in motion.