Spring 2011: FMH Emergency Services - Frederick Memorial Hospital

The FMH Pediatric
Emergency Department
A trip
Katherine Murray, Director of Women’s
and Children’s Services, Dr. Robert
Wack, Medical Director, Pediatric
Services and Christie Bussard,
Manager of Pediatric Services.
to the emergency room with a sick child has
become a little less stressful since the opening last
year of the FMH Pediatric Emergency Department.
According to FMH Director for Women’s and Children’s
Services Katherine Murray, RN, MSN, the Pediatric
Emergency Department was created to meet the most
common emergency medical needs of pediatric patients
in an environment that is quiet, calm and secure.
“There are some very specific illnesses, injuries and
conditions that affect children that we will continue to treat
in the traditional ER,” explains Murray, “but the vast majority
of patients from birth through age 17 can be treated in our
new Pediatric Emergency Department.”
An expanded version of the Bess & Frank Gladhill KidZone,
the Pediatric Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day,
7 days a week to meet the unique needs of children from
newborns to adolescents. Led by Dr. Robert Wack, FMH
Medical Director for Pediatric Services, a team of pediatricians,
nurses and other technicians provide round-the-clock, familycentered
care. The new wing serves, on average, 20 to 50 child
patients each day, or an average of 1,000 per month, according
to Christie Bussard, RN, nurse manager of the department.
WellAware | Spring 2011 | page 6
A new Pediatric Inpatient Unit is located on the same floor
as the Pediatric ED, making the transition smoother and
less traumatic for children and families who need to stay
overnight. An extension of the original KayLo Pediatric Unit
funded by the Nora Roberts Foundation, the new pediatric
inpatient unit is staffed by the same specialists who began
the child’s care in the emergency setting. “We made a
point of co-locating the Pediatric Emergency and Inpatient
Departments to maximize continuity of care, and to make
admissions, when needed, less stressful for patients and their
families,” says Bussard.
For children who are not in isolation, there’s a well-stocked
playroom full of toys and games to help pass the time prior
to discharge. There are even rolling carts with TVs, DVDs
and video games that can be moved into patients’ rooms.
“There are a lot of kid-friendly details that make the space
pleasant and enjoyable for our patients, but the most
important aspect of the FMH Pediatric Emergency
Department is the staff,” says Dr. Wack. “Every one of
us is a pediatric specialist, and we have all chosen to work
on a unit dedicated to the care of children.”