Transfers to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Our Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) provide comprehensive, advanced care for critically ill newborns and premature infants in the Southeast.

Step 1: Call for a NICU consult or transfer

To make a referral to a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta NICU, call our Transfer Center at 404-785-7778. Our Transfer Center nurse will guide you through a brief, structured process to connect you quickly with a Children’s neonatologist.

Step 2: Provide identification for yourself and the patient

Be prepared to provide:

  • Your name and role (e.g., attending physician, resident, APP)
  • Facility name and location
  • A direct call-back phone number
  • Patient identification information
    • Patient name and date of birth
    • If the patient is not yet named, we will need the mother’s first and last name.

Step 3: Share additional details about the transfer

To help ensure safe, efficient coordination, the Transfer Center nurse will collect:

Transfer urgency

  • Emergent
  • Nonemergent

Reason for transfer

  • Primary diagnosis or suspected diagnosis
  • Very brief clinical summary and any information regarding campus preference or reason for sending child

 

This information helps us connect you with the appropriate campus and neonatologist as quickly as possible.

Step 4: Get connected with a neonatologist

Once the initial information is collected:

  • The Transfer Center nurse will place you on a brief hold and connect you directly with a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta neonatologist at the appropriate campus.
  • You and the neonatologist will discuss:
    • Clinical status and key findings
    • Whether transfer is needed vs. consult only
    • Any immediate recommendations

    After this discussion, the neonatologist will either:

    • Accept the transfer to Children’s, or
    • Determine that no transfer is needed and provide consult-only guidance (Step 6)

The Transfer Center will need the following information regarding your transportation needs:

  • Ground transport
  • Air transport
  • Patient weight (isolette)
  • Respiratory adjuncts or special needs (nitric, oscillator, ECMO)
  • The transporting agency may call you back for additional information or to provide you with the following:
    • Estimated time of arrival
    • Any preparation needed prior to transport

Step 5: Consults without transfer

If your call is for consult only (no transfer):

  • The Transfer Center nurse will remain on the line and document the consult conversation in the medical record.
  • You will receive recommendations from the neonatologist for:
    • Ongoing management at your facility
    • Monitoring and follow-up
    • Any indications for future transfer

Providing a smooth and convenient experience for you and safe, quality care for your patient is our professional and personal commitment. For transfers or planned admissions, the Children’s Transfer Center will handle the details any time, day or night. The process starts with just one call.

  • One-number access to the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta System
  • 24/7 access to board-certified neonatologists
  • Activation of the appropriate transporting agency for accepted transfers
  • Clear communication and documentation to support your patient’s care

 

Our wide range of services aim to make Children’s accessible to neonate patients who need us most. And our NICUs are specially designed to care for critically ill neonates in a specialized environment to help them heal and thrive. Services available at each of our hospitals include:

  • Arthur M. Blank Hospital: Neonatal ECMO, fetal care medical and surgical NICU, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU)
  • Scottish Rite Hospital: Fetal care medical and surgical NICU
With approximately 1,000 neonatal admissions annually, our NICUs provide comprehensive care for critically ill newborns and premature infants. Children’s has Georgia’s only Level IV Neonatal Center verified by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The NICUs at Children’s combine advanced technology and specially trained healthcare professionals to care for our tiniest patients in a specialized environment. Combining the latest proven technology and research with a caring, child-friendly approach makes Children’s a top choice for neonatal treatment and care.

Our NICUs include:

  • Advanced life monitoring technologies and life support
  • 24-hour around the clock care
  • Access to more than 400 specialists in more than 30 pediatric specialties
  • Access to donor breast milk
  • Specially designed nurseries for newborn care
  • Interdisciplinary team members from the following areas caring for newborns and their families:
    • Audiologists
    • Advanced practice nurses
    • Child life specialists
    • Developmental clinic staff
    • Feeding specialists
    • Lactation consultants
    • Neonatal outreach staff
    • Neonatal respiratory care professionals
    • Board-certified neonatologists
    • Nutritionists
    • Occupational therapists
    • Pastoral care providers
    • Physical therapists
    • Pharmacists
    • Specialized nursing staff
    • Speech-language pathologists
    • Social workers
    • Neonatal transport team

Arthur M. Blank Hospital
 2220 North Druid Hills Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329

Scottish Rite Hospital
 1001 Johnson Ferry Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30342-1605

Transfer Center 404-785-7778