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Pediatric Readiness
Children require specialized emergency care during medical emergencies due to their unique physiological, developmental, and emotional characteristics. Pediatric Readiness is a federal Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) initiative that aims to ensure every EMS/prehospital agency and emergency department can provide high-quality emergency care for children. Key pediatric readiness components include having pediatric-specific champions, competencies, policies, quality measures, equipment, and other resources in place.
In Illinois, every EMS/Prehospital agency should strive to have a Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC) to ensure the best care for pediatric patients. Each emergency department also needs to designate a Pediatric Quality Coordinator and a Pediatric Physician Champion to support the care of pediatric patients and their families.
Prehospital Pediatric Readiness
To assist EMS/prehospital agencies with pediatric readiness, the National EMSC program has developed a Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Toolkit that provides access to resources specific to education/competencies, equipment/supplies, patient and medication safety, patient and family-centered care, policies/procedures and protocols, quality and process improvement, and systems of care.
In addition, pediatric protocols, skill checklists, and other Illinois EMSC prehospital pediatric resources have been created to assist PECCs in enhancing their EMS agency’s pediatric capabilities.
Emergency Department Pediatric Readiness
In Illinois, Pediatric Readiness in the emergency department setting is supported through the Illinois EMSC Pediatric Facility Recognition program. More than 100 hospitals participate in this program. If your hospital does not currently participate, learn more about it.
To assist emergency departments with pediatric readiness, the National EMSC program has developed an Emergency Department Pediatric Readiness Toolkit, which provides access to resources specific to administration and coordination, care team competencies, quality and process improvement, policies, procedures and protocols, support services, pediatric patient and medication safety, equipment, supplies, and medications.