October 3, 2000

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Fifteen hospitals in northeastern Illinois will be recognized Thursday by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program for providing the necessary resources and capabilities to address the emergency needs of seriously ill and injured children. "This program recognizes hospitals that enhance their emergency departments to meet the unique needs of pediatric patients," said Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director. "To provide the appropriate care for children requires special training, equipment and supplies and cannot always be handled in emergency settings initially developed for adult patients."

Leslee Stein-Spencer, chief of the Department's Division of Emergency Medical Services and Highway Safety, will present each hospital with either a certificate of recognition as an Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics (EDAP) or as a Standby Emergency Department for Pediatrics (SEDP) during a ceremony at Bristol Court Banquet Facility in Mount Prospect.

Hospitals can apply for one of two levels of voluntary recognition. Facilities that provide comprehensive emergency services can seek recognition as an Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics (EDAP). The Standby Emergency Department for Pediatrics (SEDP) recognition is for hospitals that provide stabilization measures and have in place transfer guidelines for when more definitive care is needed. With these new recognitions, there are now 79 EDAP hospitals in Illinois and 13 SEDP hospitals.

Hospitals seeking this voluntary designation receive a site visit by the EMSC program staff who verify that the emergency department is capable of meeting pediatric emergency care standards including the following:

• Professionals specially trained in pediatric emergency care;
• Adequate staffing and provisions for pediatric consultation and backup to support provision of pediatric emergency care services;
• Availability of essential pediatric equipment, supplies and medication;
• Implementation protocols for the treatment of abused and of critically ill and injured children;
• Implementation of protocols for interfacility transfer of critically ill and injured children to a specialized care center; and
• Incorporation of pediatrics into emergency services quality improvement activities.

The Illinois EMSC program, a collaborative effort of the Illinois Department of Public Health and Loyola University Medical Center, was established in 1994 to enhance emergency medical care for children.