Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Fall 2019 - 17

other pediatric emergency departments what they liked about their
facilities and what they would seek to change. We then partnered
with a health care quality improvement company to bring this vision
to life.
The result of this committed legwork is a beautiful 16-bed
emergency department exclusively for infants, children, and
adolescents. From the moment a family arrives, they are directed
into a dedicated waiting area. The space is bright and colorful but
not overwhelming. There is a virtual fish tank with live feeds to
dozens of water habitats. There are stations for parents to charge
their phones and a computer to easily access the internet. Our triage
bays can double as full treatment areas. Once a family enters the
care area, the first thing they see is a large collaboration space where
physicians, nurses and other medical staff work together to develop
and execute the treatment plan. Remote monitors help the team
continuously monitor vital signs of each patient. There is a large
critical care room, complete with all the medications and equipment
needed in one place to care for our sickest patients. There is a
negative-pressure isolation room which protects staff and other
patients from potentially communicable diseases.
Thanks to a generous grant from The Friends of Reading
Hospital, we were able to purchase two "sensory stations" - large,
mobile machines containing fun features such as bubbles, lights,
fiber-optics, projectors, and audio capabilities. These units have
already proved effective in catering to the needs of patients with
autism and sensory processing challenges. In some cases, we
have even used these tools to distract patients during very quick
procedures, rather than having to administer strong and potentially
dangerous pain medicines and sedatives. We are also very proud
to have a wonderful, newly hired child life specialist to work with
frightened and anxious children as they receive needed interventions.
This is in addition to a music therapist that has been employed for
over a year. Our music therapist uses her musical talents to entertain
and distract anxious children and families as they receive medical
treatment.
All these individual pieces collectively further our ability to
provide exceptional care in a more comforting setting that reduces
stress and anxiety for our patients and their family. It brings
together the talented health care professionals with vast pediatric
experience and the resources they need to help children heal. For
the first time in Berks County, children can receive comprehensive,
state-of-the-art emergency care delivered - and I stress - CLOSE
TO HOME. Again, we hope you and your loved ones will never
need to use our services; but please know that we are completely
invested in exceeding all expectations that come along with this
extraordinary new Pediatric Emergency Department.
FALL 2019

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Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Fall 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Berks County Medical Society Medical Record Fall 2019
