St. Bernards Medical Center Earns Arkansas' First 'Pediatric Ready' Status for Emergency Departments

St. Bernards Medical Center has earned Arkansas’ first “Pediatric Ready” status for emergency care provided at non-pediatric hospitals, achieving “Gold Tier Recognition” from the Arkansas Department of Health.

St. Bernards Medical Center’s Emergency Department (ED) applied for and received the designation this summer through the Arkansas Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) State Partnership Program. This program honors emergency departments and prehospital agencies, such as EMS, for caring for children and their unique health needs.

To achieve “Pediatric Ready” status, the hospital’s emergency care team considered that children differ anatomically, physiologically, developmentally and medically from adults. The team then developed emergency services and trained all ED staff on how to best care for pediatric patients. It also began stocking specialized equipment, medications and supplies. The process concluded with an onsite review from the Arkansas Department of Health, where St. Bernards earned the highest possible certification.

St. Bernards Emergency Department Pediatric Coordinator Hailey Clifton, RN, said the hospital prioritized the designation after seeing a steady year-over-year increase in the number of emergency visits involving children.

“Nationally, eight out of ten children go to a general emergency department over a specialized pediatric ED,” ¹ Clifton said. “Our numbers over the past three years reflect that trend, and we only expect them to go higher. Considering our nearest children’s hospitals are an hour to two hours away by car or ambulance, this community needed an emergency department with a pediatric focus.”

Outside of bolstering its pediatric care capabilities, St. Bernards made a concerted effort on the pediatric patient experience. For example, to lessen a child’s anxiety about going to the hospital, staff members use dolls to demonstrate medical procedures, such as sutures, before attempting them on the child. When applicable, they even transport children by wagon rather than using wheelchairs or hospital beds.

Clifton added that local community members even donated supplies to help the hospital have a pediatric area in the ED’s waiting room. The donations also included eight tablets and bath time supplies.

“Seeing the outpouring of support just reinforces what we’re doing,” she said. “It’s all about equipping our team to do its best and to let kids know that we’re going to take good care of them.”

St. Bernards will celebrate its newest designation and honor its pediatric emergency team with a ceremony on Wednesday, October 2 at 1 p.m. in the St. Bernards Community Room, located near the main entrance of St. Bernards Medical Center.

¹ “Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department” - Pediatrics, Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Volume 142, Issue 5; https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/5/e20182459/38608/Pediatric-Readiness-in-the-Emergency-Department