The emergency department at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah has earned praise for its commitment to providing excellent care for pediatric patients.
The Emergency Department Pediatric Recognition comes from Wisconsin Emergency Medical Services for Children (WI EMSC), a statewide initiative dedicated to improving the quality of emergency care for children.
“This recognition should help assure families within our communities that during a child’s health emergency they can rely on us as a compassionate, trusted and highly-skilled partner,” said Audrey Rosin, Manager, Emergency Department, ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. “It really helps demonstrate our readiness to treat and care for our youngest patients. It’s truly serving our community.”
WI EMSC designed the Emergency Department Pediatric Recognition program to identify Wisconsin emergency departments that meet the guidelines in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Policy Statement, Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department. In order to receive Emergency Department Pediatric Recognition, an emergency department needs to meet requirements such as, but not limited to:
- A disaster plan addressing pediatric patients
- A minimum score of 80 out of 100 on the Pediatric Readiness Assessment
- A Nurse Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator and a Physician Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator
- Written pediatric interfacility transfer guidelines and agreements
Specialized Emergency Care
Emergency departments across the U.S. typically are designed to treat adults. Many are not fully equipped to care for critically ill or injured children requiring specialized care.
“Children are unique. They require more specialized care because their anatomical, physiological, developmental and medical needs are quite different than what we see in adults,” said Danielle Fischenich, a registered nurse and Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. She aided efforts to gain WI EMSC recognition. “We are sensitive to that and want to ensure we’re providing care tailored to their very specific medical needs.”
The National Pediatric Readiness Project has said high levels of pediatric emergency readiness are associated with:
- 76% lower mortality rate in ill children
- 60% lower mortality rate in injured children
- 2,143 children’s lives saved across the United States each year
High levels of pediatric readiness in emergency departments may mean better outcomes for sick or injured children, Rosin said. That’s why ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah proactively sought the distinction.
“Our emergency department sees many pediatric patients,” she said. “We wanted to further strengthen our already noteworthy ability to care for our youngest patients. In addition, our trauma verification through the American College of Surgeons places emphasis on pediatric readiness, even as an adult trauma center. So, this recognition helps highlight our ability to provide quality emergency care, regardless of age.”
The Road to Recognition
ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah spent about 18 months preparing for the recognition, Rosin explained. Preparation included but wasn’t limited to:
- Establishing a Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator.
- Reviewing the hospital’s pediatric readiness in comparison to WI EMSC standards.
- Creating enhanced guidelines and standards around delivering pediatric care.
- Training team members on new standards.
- Ensuring emergency department supplies and equipment meet WI EMSC standards.
- Creating improved documentation, efficiencies and workflows for clinical teams.
Disaster preparedness also was a key preparatory tactic, Rosin said.
The hospital held a mock, mass-casualty emergency drill in October to test its disaster preparedness. It was held in collaboration with local law enforcement and first responder organizations. The exercise featured a simulated bus crash, complete with about 20 children acting as injured or seriously distressed passengers and about a dozen adults serving in similar roles.
The drill helped the hospital’s emergency department confirm its readiness to care for its youngest patients, Rosin said.
Next Steps
ThedaCare will continue to explore opportunities to enhance its care for pediatric patients, Fischenich said.
“We’ll look at different aspects of pediatric care – respiratory treatments, our trauma care, behavioral health care, just to name a few,” she said. “ThedaCare is committed to health care excellence. Improving our pediatric care is one way we can do that.” ThedaCare is recognized as a Pediatric Ready Facility through December 2028.
