Emergency Departments Improve Readiness to Care for Children

The following article from the American College of Emergency Physicians Newsroom explains the impact that Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinators [Pediatric Champions] have on emergency departments and pediatric readiness across the nation. Approximately 50 percent of emergency departments in the U.S. are staffed with a physician or nurse to address pediatric readiness within their facilities.

Pediatric Coordinator Role is Key to Improvement Apr 13, 2015

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pediatric emergency care coordinators in the nation's emergency departments are strongly linked with improved readiness to care for children, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics.  Nearly 50 percent of the nation's emergency departments have a physician or nurse dedicated to address staff training, equipment availability and policies for the care of children — a three-fold increase since 2003.  This is an important finding because the presence of a pediatric emergency care coordinator is strongly correlated with improved pediatric readiness, independent of other factors.

"Emergency department pediatric readiness has improved greatly since a similar assessment was conducted in 2003," said study author Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD, FACEP, FAAP, of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.  The nation's overall pediatric readiness score, out of 100, increased to nearly 70 (up from 55 in 2003).

Click here to read more. 


UPDATE: For even more information on the Pediatric Champion initiative, please refer to the following document supplied by the Office of Public Health Preparedness (OPHP): Pediatric Champion Role Description