The Ohio EMSC Pediatric Readiness Facility Recognition Program honors emergency departments (EDs) for meeting specific pediatric care standards. This program encourages improvements in care, enhances coordination, and ensures children receive appropriate treatment from well-prepared facilities.

Analysis of 2021 pediatric readiness national assessment results shows that EDs that participate in recognition programs had a 24-point higher median score, on average, than EDs that did not. High pediatric readiness scores are associated with improved outcomes. (Learn more about pediatric readiness here.)

The Ohio EMSC Pediatric Readiness Facility Recognition Program is excited to announce the launch of a structured application window, designed to better support applicants and streamline the recognition process. To accommodate growing interest and provide flexibility, the program will now operate on two cycles per year.

The next cycle of applications will begin on December 1, 2025, with a target completion date of July 1, 2026 (subject to change). This timeline offers a manageable experience for facilities, with built-in time for preparation, guidance, and key recognition process activities.

If you're unable to apply during the December 2025 window, you’ll have another opportunity to apply during the June 2026 cycle, which will follow a similar structure.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to view the available resources on this page regarding facility preparations prior to applying for recognition.

Questions can be directed to the Ohio EMSC State Partnership Program Manager, Kyle Smith at kyle.smith@nationwidechildrens.org

The Ohio EMSC State Partnership (SP) Program is partnering with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) to enhance the Ohio Pediatric Facility Recognition Program. The Ohio Department of Health and subrecipients of the Department’s Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) grant have worked with the EMSC SP to help develop a Pediatric Facility Recognition program for Ohio. The subrecipients will be working with hospitals to begin implementing the recognition program by working with regional hospitals to make sure they have completed a National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) assessment. The HPP awardees will then work with area hospitals who wish to apply for the voluntary Pediatric Facility Recognition Program to facilitate their application. The ODH and the Hospital Preparedness Program subrecipients’ collaboration on this project is crucial to the success of the program as we work together to improve the pediatric readiness of Ohio’s hospitals and emergency departments.

The Ohio HPP regions and contacts can be located in the documents below.

(all dates subject to change)