CHI Health St. Francis to be recognized as a Pediatric Ready Hospital

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (Press Release) - On April 1, CHI Health St. Francis became the second hospital in Nebraska to be recognized as a Pediatric Ready Hospital by the Nebraska Emergency Medical Services for Children Committee.

The elite national and state designation is granted to hospitals whose commitment to excellence ensures a high-quality foundation for emergency pediatric care.

“Pediatric Ready Hospitals, like St. Francis’ Emergency Department, have voluntarily prepared and equipped ourselves to go ‘above and beyond’ in our care of children,” says Amelia Swanson, nurse manager, St. Francis Emergency Department. “We are continually advancing to provide our region with the best possible 24/7 emergency coverage at our Level III trauma center.”

The Pediatric Readiness Team at St. Francis includes: Kiley Grzywa, Brooke Schmitt, Stacie Swanson, Stacy Paitz, Chelsea Schweitzer, Mindy Walters, Jackie Nelson, Kaycee Hipwell, Barb Nickel, Andrea Brouillette, Chris Gopin, Mike German, Lori Beiber and Amelia Swanson.

More about the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP):

NPRP is a quality improvement initiative co-led by the Health Resources Service Administration and its Emergency Medical Services for Children Program, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Emergency Nurses Association.

At its core, pediatric readiness provides the foundation to ensure high-quality pediatric emergency care. Successful pediatric readiness programs share many common traits:

Enhance awareness of pediatric emergency care gaps
Recognize hospital and EMS infrastructures within the state
Establish and maintain strong partnerships between hospitals and EMS agencies
Define minimum criteria to promote pediatric readiness in the following areas: Staff qualifications, quality improvement, policies/procedures, continuing education, equipment/supplies and adaptable to refine the process on an ongoing basis