Pediatric Readiness Project

September 08, 2017 12:00 PM | Deleted user

Enhancing the pediatric readiness of the nation’s emergency departments (EDs) to care for children is of utmost importance to improve the quality of care and outcomes for ill or injured children. Wisconsin Emergency Physicians are encouraged to participate in pediatric ED readiness initiatives.

The US Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) EMS for Children (EMSC) Program and the EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC) have partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Emergency Nurses Association to support a pediatric quality improvement collaborative. The collaborative began in April 2016 and efforts are ongoing with a goal of working with existing emergency care systems to improve and encourage pediatric readiness based on compliance with the 2009 joint policy statement, “Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department (ED).”

 In 2013 the National Pediatric Readiness Project provided a baseline assessment of the nation’s capacity to care for children in an emergency. This assessment identified that the majority of children are cared for in community and rural emergency departments rather than specialized hospitals such as children’s hospitals. It was also noted that the readiness of these institutions to care for the emergency needs of children varied greatly (www.pedsready.org).

Pediatric readiness programs assist state and territory-specific teams in working closely with stakeholders to identify criteria and characteristics, and to supply resources such as policies, procedures, and equipment, to best meet the needs of children within their own state or territory.

Additional Resources:

  • Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department policy statement (link)
  • EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center (link)

Contacts:

  • Ms. Loren Rives, Senior Manager, Academic Affairs, ACEP
  • Dr. Madeline Joseph or Dr. Kathleen Brown, ACEP Liaisons on the EIIC