Advanced NICU transport training at RCH

Riverside, Calif. — Riverside Community Hospital completed a rigorous, hands-on training for its Neonatal Transport Team, reinforcing its readiness to deliver lifesaving care to critically ill newborns across the Inland Empire. Twenty-four care givers participated in the two-day training that featured real-world transport simulations, mock code scenarios and expert-led instruction to advance life-saving skills in the most critical moments of a newborn’s care journey.

Neonatal transports take place during some of the most delicate and time-sensitive situations in a baby’s life. This training ensures the team is prepared to respond 24/7, with advanced protocols and annual competency checks that go beyond standard expectations. Each deployment immediately raises the level of care—bringing neonatal expertise right to the patient, when and where they need it, whether in the hospital or on the road.

Riverside Community Hospital’s neonatal transport team, made up of neonatologists, registered nurses and respiratory therapists, travels with a dedicated neonatal transport ambulance to transport the infant. This is not a standard ambulance. Operated in partnership with AMR, the specialized vehicle is dedicated to neonatal transport and remains on standby, allowing the hospital’s neonatal team to deploy immediately alongside ambulance personnel.

“Neonatal transport demands precision, consistency and calm under pressure,” said Jesse Roque, chief nursing officer at Riverside Community Hospital. “Every training prepares us to deliver critical care from the first second – ensuring fragile newborns have the safest journey possible to the advanced support they need.”

“Our neonatal transport team is second to none,” said Kelsey Velasco, assistant chief nursing officer at Riverside Community Hospital. “This training reflects our commitment to ensuring every newborn, no matter where their journey begins, receives the highest quality care, backed by expertise, compassion, and teamwork.”

Riverside Community Hospital is home to a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, providing comprehensive care 24/7. With OB hospitalists, anesthesia, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and lactation consultants always available, the hospital regularly receives infants transferred by ground or air from across the region. Once in the NICU, each baby is supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes neonatologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, case managers, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, registered dietitians, lactation consultants, and medical social workers.