Our mission in emergency medicine is to provide the best care possible for anyone presenting to our departments—including children. We owe it to our patients and their families to be ready to meet their needs. Armed with knowledge gleaned from this study, emergency physicians can and should lead pediatric emergency readiness in their practice settings, promoting patient- and family-centered care for patients of all ages in our communities. Only after ensuring readiness can we integrate all of our EDs into larger systems to provide the high quality care that all of our patients deserve.

References

1. Gausche-Hill M, Schmitz C, Lewis RJ. Pediatric preparedness of US emergency departments: a 2003 survey. Pediatrics. 2007;120:1229-1237.
2. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine; American College of Emergency Physicians Pediatric Committee; Emergency Nurses Association Pediatric Committee. Joint policy statement—guidelines for care of children in the emergency department. Ann Emerg Med. 2009;54:543-552.
3. Gausche-Hill M, Ely M, Schmuhl P, et al.A national assessment of pediatric readiness of emergency departments. JAMA Pediatr. 2015. Apr 13. [Epub ahead of print]
4. Institute of Medicine, Committee of the Future of Emergency Care in the US Health System. Emergency care for children: growing pains. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2006.

Dr. Benjamin is director of clinical operations in the pediatric emergency center at Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Joseph is chief of the pediatric emergency medicine division at the University of Florida Health in Jacksonville. Dr. Perina is professor of emergency medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville. Dr. Sacchetti is chair of emergency medicine at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden, New Jersey.