The Southern Alberta Neonatal Transport Service (SANTS) is a team of specially trained healthcare professionals that assists in the stabilization and transport of newborns needing a higher level of care than their local health center can provide. These babies are transported to Neonatal Intensive Care Units or other pediatric facilities where they can receive the lifesaving care they need.

The SANTS team is based out of the Foothills Medical Centre NICU in Calgary, Alberta and provides service to the Calgary, Central and Southern Zones within Alberta Health Services, as well as other provinces when needed. The team can also assist with the insertion of PICC lines in neonates if this service is not available locally.

We also offer Outreach Education to hospitals and health centers throughout our catchment area. This one-day session provides theory and hands-on training for staff on how to identify and stabilize sick or premature babies until SANTS arrives. Please complete this survey to request Outreach Education from the Southern Alberta Neonatal Transport Service (SANTS) team. We will contact you, or the Clinical Nurse Educator on record at your site to discuss the request further.

If you are a medical professional and need assistance from the SANTS team, please call RAAPID South at 1-800-661-1700. Any healthcare provider (MD, nurse, RT, Unit Clerk etc) can initiate the call! If you need resources to guide care while waiting for the team, please keep scrolling.



The Steps to Transport

There are many reasons a baby might need a higher level of care, but the most common conditions requiring transport are: presentation to a non-delivering (Level 0) healthcare facility, prematurity (<35 weeks gestation), hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), and possible sepsis. If any of these apply to your patient...

  • Provide immediate resuscitation needs for the baby using Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) algorithms.

  • Call RAAPID at 1-800-661-1700 and ask for the SANTS team. Any healthcare provider can initiate the call! Be prepared to provide basic information about the patient (or mother if baby isn't born yet).

  • The SANTS team will ask 4 questions: How old is the baby from birth (hours/days)? What is the gestational age of the baby? What FiO2 is the baby on, and what is the current oxygen saturation? What is the main concern requiring transport?

  • If the baby requires transport, the SANTS team will mobilize and prepare for departure.

  • Continue care until the SANTS team arrives. The Transport Neonatologists can give advice on how to proceed with treatment/stabilization by phone or Telehealth. Scroll down for resources on stabilization and care while awaiting the team.

Our Catchment Area

SANTS provides service to the Central, Calgary and South Zones of Alberta Health Services.

Resources for Stabilization/Transport Prep

All Transports

  • Ready Set Transport!This document is a one page reference for what to expect while awaiting SANTS, when we arrive, and when we depart. The back of the page is a template for compiling information to give a comprehensive report to the transport team at arrival.




  • Emergency Medication Calculation Worksheet This Excel spreadsheet automatically calculates weight-based resuscitation Epinephrine per NRP 8th Edition. **Controlled intubation medications are listed, but this procedure is tailored to the NICU environment and should be discussed with the SANTS Transport Neonatologist prior to initiation**


  • RSI Instructional Video- This video shows the steps to completing a Rapid Sequence Intubation (RSI). **This procedure should only be undertaken at a Level 2 NICU under the direct supervision of the MRHP.** This link: RSI Written Instructions provides a printable PDF of the steps covered in the video.


  • Telehealth Instructions: Please contact SANTS via RAAPID first, then the team will initiate a Telehealth session. Telehealth service has recently changed to the Zoom platform. All Telehealth stations have been updated with new speed dial links to SANTS Link #1 and SANTS Link #2. The team will tell you which link to join. When setting up the Telehealth station please ensure that the microphone and sound are turned on, and that the infant is within the view of the camera. 


Non-Delivering (Level 0) Sites

  • Level 0 Supplies and Setup GuideThis document provides guidance on preparing for delivery and resuscitation of the newborn at a non-delivering (Level 0) healthcare facility. It outlines the basic personnel, supplies and equipment setup for the resuscitation and initial care of a term or pre-term newborn.


Prematurity (23-32 weeks Gestation)

  • Level 1 Golden Hour Checklist This document provides information about how to tailor the equipment set up, resuscitation and stabilization of a newborn to the needs of an extremely premature baby. The resources/equipment listed should be available at all Level 1 delivering sites.


Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy

Free App: To Cool, or Not to Cool? This app was designed by the Calgary Neuro-Critical Care Program to assist clinicians in identifying infants that qualify for Therapeutic Hypothermia.

  • HIE Screening Tool CC Guide This guide explains how to use the HIE Screening Tool built into Connect Care (EPIC). This tool should be used for any infant with risk factors for HIE, in conjunction with consultation of SANTS to determine if transport is required.

  • Targeted Neurological Exam Video This 15 minute video guides shows how to perform a targeted neurological exam in the context of suspected HIE. If you are caring for an infant at risk for HIE, it is advisable to complete the neuro exam via Telehealth with the SANTS team (see above for Telehealth instructions).



Modes of Transportation

The mode of transportation is determined by the patient's condition, the distance to the referral site, and available resources. Each call is triaged by RAAPID and the team to determine the most appropriate transport vehicle. SANTS has three modes of transportation:


Ground Ambulance

EMS crews are dispatched to assist SANTS in reaching both local and rural sites, no matter the weather or distance. EMS also transports our team and equipment between the hospital and airport when travelling by fixed wing. This is the most common mode of transport for SANTS missions, and they play a key role in virtually all of our trips.

Fixed Wing Air Ambulance

Fixed wing is the mode of choice when the team has to travel a greater distance, and there is an airport near the referring center. This is arranged through the Central Communication Centre (CCC).

STARS Air Ambulance

In emergent circumstances, STARS is the fastest way to get to a baby in need of lifesaving care, no matter where they are.


A note about transport times:

SANTS triages referrals as elective, urgent or emergent, each with a different goal for departure times. Actual mobilization times are influenced by many factors including (but not limited to) availability of personnel, transport vehicles, and local traffic/weather/driving conditions etc. The SANTS team will update the referral site with an ETA once they are enroute.