Cardinal Glennon’s Pediatric Express offers a faster approach to kids’ emergency care
Alec Brettnacher, disguised as an “alien gangster,” didn’t even realize he was seriously hurt when a brick used in a haunted house he and friends were making fell on his head, leaving a nasty gash. “At first, I thought I was just sweating a lot because my head started to feel really warm and wet,” recalls 8-year-old Alec. “Then I put my hand up to feel it, and when I looked at my hand, it was covered in blood.”
“He was very lucky he didn’t get knocked out,” Allison says. Other parents at the party agreed that Alec needed medical attention. “It’s scary to be in that situation as a parent, even when you work in a hospital and see as much as I do,” says Allison, a respiratory therapist.
“All these thoughts run through your head. Is he going to need stitches? How deep is it? Could he lose consciousness? Is there a brain injury? You react pretty quickly,” she says. After a five-minute drive, Allison and Alec entered SSM St. Joseph Hospital West’s Emergency Department.
Specialists stand ready to treat patients
One look at Alec, and the Emergency Department staff whisked him into the hospital’s new Cardinal Glennon Pediatric Express, where children with emergency medical needs are assessed and treated in a convenient, fast and kid-friendly environment. Although it was about 10:30 p.m. on a weekend, Alec was checked in quickly and nurse practitioner Cathy Miles began working to treat his injury.
Nationally, pediatric patients walk out of emergency rooms without being seen about 3 percent of the time, and Pediatric Express decreases that statistic significantly by keeping wait times for children, and as a result, adults, to a minimum.
“I am very proud to say that now the number of children who leave without being seen is below the national benchmark of less than 1 percent,” Laramie says. “We will continue to strive for improvement until that number is consistently at zero.
Expert care, convenient hours
Allison Brettnacher is just one of the many satisfied parents who have benefited from Pediatric Express since it opened in July 2007. The six-bed unit is open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., peak hours for pediatric emergency visits. Medical staff who specialize in treating children provide expert care tempered with reassurance. Televisions with kidfriendly DVDs and upbeat décor in each room help children relax.Despite receiving five staples in his scalp, Alec gives the experience a positive review. “Having movies for kids to watch in the emergency room is a great idea,” he says. “While I was watching TV, I kind of forgot about my wound. Everyone was just really, really nice.” That’s high praise coming from an emergency room veteran: Alec has had head injuries treated twice before in local emergency rooms.
From a parent’s perspective, Allison
echoes Alec’s approval. “It was very comforting to have everyone up here be
so helpful and calm and take care of him
right away,” she says. “Kids have such a
hard time waiting for anything as it is,
and even more so in an emergency
situation. To them, pain is such a big deal
and injuries are so much more dramatic
than they are to an adult.”
Parents aren’t the only adults benefiting from Cardinal Glennon Pediatric Express. As children are seen in the new facility, adults needing emergency treatment find they also have shorter waits. Laramie notes that the length of stay has decreased by about 30 minutes per patient since Pediatric Express opened.
Pediatricians, nurses and other medical staff working in Cardinal Glennon Pediatric Express report that their work is more efficient due to the facility’s specialized nature and concentrated area, which includes quick access to pediatricspecific equipment and supplies. “Nurses in the Pediatric Express have undergone pediatric training, so families and children can feel comfortable. Our nurses treat children of all ages, from newborns to young adults, with confidence and compassion,” Laramie says.
“We love it,” beams Cari Couch, R.N., a nurse at Pediatric Express. “It has been great for our patients. We like being able to give that individualized care to the kids.”
“When I leave the building between 4 and 7 p.m. on a daily basis, I do not see a waiting room full of children. That makes me happy,” Laramie adds.
And getting back to the Halloween party only an hour after arriving at the hospital made Allison and Alec very happy. “I’m telling you, I was shocked at how quickly we were in and out of there,” Allison says. “I hope Alec doesn’t have to come to the emergency room again, but if he does, I’ll definitely bring him back here.”
