Lancaster Physician Winter 2020 - 11

WINTER 2020

From L to R: The pediatric unit's design includes interactive play walls that incorporate STEM themes; Special family support features include the Ronald McDonald
Hospitality Kiosk, which creates a welcoming environment with snacks, drinks, and additional amenities; The Seraph-McSparren Pediatric Inpatient Center at Lancaster General
Hospital opened this fall, offering large, private rooms designed to help children and their families feel more at home.

* The Ronald McDonald Hospitality Kiosk,
offering nourishing snacks, personal care
items, small activities, and respite for families
* Technology for education, entertainment,
and support-including interactive wall
features
The Pediatric Inpatient Center's experienced
and dedicated staff is specially trained to
treat the needs of children from infants
to age 17. LG Health is proud to partner
with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
(CHOP), consistently ranked as one of the
top children's hospitals in the United States,
to ensure that children in our community
receive the highest quality care.
This partnership enhances expertise and
ensures a high level of care, with the ability
to coordinate with doctors throughout LG
Health and CHOP. The Pediatric Inpatient
Center is staffed by board-certified CHOP
hospitalists-physicians who care for patients
exclusively in a hospital setting-and a team
of pediatric-certified nurses with additional
specialized education.
The Child Life Program, launched on the
previous LGH pediatric unit in November

2018, continues to expand. With nearly
21,000 pediatric visits to the LGH Emergency
Department and pediatric unit each year, Child
Life Specialists are now available to support
children and families in both locations.
"Child Life Specialists focus on reducing
stress for children and families during a hospital stay," said Michelle Schori, Executive
Director of Pediatrics at LG Health. "The
program provides opportunities to engage
children in normal day-to-day activities, support their development, and improve their
ability to cope with the hospital experience."
Child Life specialists-a role endorsed by
the American Academy of Pediatrics-are
bachelor's- or master's-trained professionals
with a certification in Child Life. They work
closely with the family and health care team,
developing supportive relationships and
increasing familiarity with hospital surroundings. This includes preparing children
and parents for new experiences, such as a
surgical procedure, and teaching coping
techniques to reduce anxiety.
"Some interactions involve games, playing
pretend, or interacting with a tablet," said
Michelle Arnts, LGH Child Life Specialist.

LANCASTER

11

PHYSICIAN

"It is my role to explain medical experiences
in age-appropriate ways that put both the
child and the parent at ease."
The LGH Pediatric Inpatient Center
represents a significant investment in the
community and by the community, which
contributed more than $9.5 million toward the
unit and its services. The Child Life program
is supported by philanthropic donations and is
not a billable medical service.
LG Health continues to expand its pediatric
services throughout Lancaster County, including neonatal intensive care in partnership with
CHOP at Women & Babies Hospital and
primary care at LG Health Physicians Roseville
Pediatrics. CHOP specialists provide outpatient
pediatric care in a growing number of specialties
at LG Health's Suburban Pavilion, including
cardiology, endocrinology, neurology, gastroenterology, plastic surgery, and pulmonology.
LG Health now offers access to integrated
behavioral health counselors at every primary
care practice, including Roseville Pediatrics.
Additionally, the Lancaster Behavioral Health
Hospital, jointly run by LG Health and Universal Health Services, recently opened its 16-bed
adolescent unit.
Lancaster Physician Winter 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lancaster Physician Winter 2020
