Marshall Health Networks celebrates 35 years of lifesaving care by PICU Transport Team

Past and present members of the PICU Transport Team at Hoops Family Children's Hospital pose for a photo at the 35th anniversary celebration, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025.

For 35 years, the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Transport Team at Marshall Health Network-Hoops Family Children’s Hospital (HFCH) at Cabell Huntington Hospital has been the link between community hospitals and lifesaving critical care, bringing the expertise of a children’s hospital to the bedside of the region’s sickest children.

Thursday, team members past and present gathered to celebrate that legacy and honor the pioneers who helped launch the program in 1990. During the ceremony, founding nurses Shelia King, Bonnie Conger and Dinah Cooper were honored for their vision of what the team could be, and Dr. Michael Waldeck, PICU intensivist and associate professor at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, was honored for solidifying the program and continuing to provide leadership as the medical director of the team today.

“It’s incredible to look back and see how far we’ve come,” Waldeck said. “What began as a small group of dedicated nurses and physicians with a vision has grown into a highly skilled team that saves lives every day. I’m proud to be part of it still and to see that same commitment to children driving everything we do.”

The PICU Transport Team is trained to deliver intensive care on the move, both in traditional ambulances and by air. They stabilize young patients and safely transfer them from area hospitals to HFCH, where they can receive specialized treatment. Experts in their field, these RNs continue to provide care even after a child has been admitted to the hospital.

The team is the longest-running PICU specialty transport team in the state of West Virginia.

“The current team is the driving force behind our mission today and the reason our program continues to thrive,” said Michele McMaster, BSN, RN, nurse manager for pediatrics and PICU, HFCH, and former member of the PICU transport team. “This team embodies the same passion, skill and dedication that has defined this program from the very beginning. Every call, every mile and every patient represents the teamwork, expertise and heart that make this group so exceptional.”

Along with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Transport team, these medical professionals conduct hundreds of transports each year across West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.

Over three and a half decades, the team has evolved with advances in technology and medicine. These advances continue today, thanks to the continued partnerships with Cabell County EMS and Healthnet Aeromedical Services. A new, advanced twin-engine Airbus H-135 tailored to provide the highest level of critical care during transport will join Healthnet’s fleet at Cabell Huntington Hospital by the end of the year.