HJNO Jul/Aug 2021

40 JUL / AUG 2021 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS COLUMN CHILDREN’S HEALTH MORE THAN 80% of emergency depart- ment visits made by ill or injured children occur in general emergency departments, where the critically ill or injured child is an infrequent occurrence. The unique needs of children are elevated during serious or life-threatening emergencies and require emergency centers to have staff, medi- cations, equipment and other resources specifically designed to aid in the care of children. Pediatric readiness is the system- ic inclusion of pediatric-specific needs into all aspects of emergency department care. Emergency centers designed just for kids Emergency departments provide comprehensive acute care 24/7 and are equipped with dedicated triage, trauma, imaging and behavioral health services. Not every community has a specialized pediatric emergency department, which is why pediatric readiness is such an import- ant concept. Specialized pediatric emer- gency departments allow for timely access to pediatric medical subspecialists, pediat- ric surgical services, and child and adoles- Thirty million children seek emergency care every year in an emergency department (ED). But, as noted in a National Academy of Medicine report, the provision of pediatric emergency care in the United States is uneven. PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE SERVES THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES