Peds Ready Manuscripts

Journal of Emergency Nursing Publishes Peds Ready Article on IHS and Tribal EDs (November 6, 2015)

"Pediatric Readiness in Indian Health Service and Tribal Emergency Departments: Results from the National Pediatric Readiness Project," authored by Juliana Sadovich, PhD, RN; Terry Adirim, MD, MPHl Russell Telford, MAS; Lenora M. Olson, PhD, MA; Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD; and Elizabeth Edgerton, MD, MPH, is being published in the Journal of Emergency Nursing (currently In Press). The article presents the results of the National Pediatric Readiness Project (Peds Ready) assessment of the 45 Indian Health Service (IHS)/Tribal emergency departments. In 2014, these EDs treated approximately 650,000 patients, of which 185,000 (28%) were children and youth younger than 19 years.

Despite serving a historically vulnerable population, IHS/Tribal EDs scored favorably when compared with national Peds Ready data. The survey identified areas for improvement, including implementation of quality improvement processes, stocking of pediatric specific equipment, implementation of policies and procedures on interfacility transport, and maintaining staff pediatric competencies.

Annals of Emergency Medicine Publishes Peds Ready Article on Pediatric Verification Programs (September 1, 2015)

“Pediatric Readiness and Facility Verification” by Katherine Remick, MD; Amy Kaji, MD, PhD; Lenora Olson, PhD, MA; Michael Ely, MHRM; Patricia Schmuhl; Nancy McGrath, RN, MN; Elizabeth Edgerton, MD, MPH; and Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD, was published online in Annals of Emergency Medicine on August 29, 2015. The article presents the results of the National Pediatric Readiness Project assessment of 335 emergency departments in California. This paper was the first to demonstrate an association between pediatric verification programs and improved day-to-day readiness of emergency departments (ED).

Nurse managers from 90% (300/335) of EDs completed the web-based assessment, including 51 pediatric-verified EDs, 67 designated trauma centers, and 31 EDs assessed for pediatric capabilities. Most pediatric visits (87%) occurred in non-children’s hospitals. The overall median weighted pediatric readiness score (WPRS) was 69. Pediatric verified EDs had a higher WPRS (89.6) compared with non-verified EDs (65.5) and EDs assessed for pediatric capabilities (70.7).

Peds Ready Article Published in JAMA Pediatrics (April 13, 2015)

It is with great excitement that we announce the first paper from the National Pediatric Readiness (Peds Ready) Project was released online today, April 13, and will be released in print in the near future. Authored by Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD, the online article, “A National Assessment of Pediatric Readiness of Emergency Departments,” appears in JAMA Pediatrics, along with an editorial by Joseph Wright, MD, MPH, and Evaline Alessandrini MD, MSCE.

In preparation for the paper’s release, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Emergency Nurses Association, and the federal EMSC Program developed a national news release to highlight some of the key findings discussed in Dr. Gausche-Hill’s article, in particular the strong link between pediatric care coordinators and improved readiness to care for children.

A copy of the news release is available for download, which will be distributed to key national and state health policy reporters, editors, and broadcast correspondents.

Minnesota EMSC Publishes Peds Ready Article in Minnesota Medicine(September 1, 2015)

Minnesota becomes the first state to publish state-specific data on the National Pediatric Readiness (Peds Ready) Project. The article appears in the August 2014 issue of Minnesota Medicine. Peds Ready, a national assessment of hospitals’ ability to treat children with emergent needs – both illnesses and injuries – was completed in July 2013. All Minnesota hospitals providing care for children responded. The overall score for Minnesota was 63, six points lower than the national overall score. This article explains what was assessed, why Minnesota’s results may be sub-par, and what hospitals need to do to become “peds ready.”