Don't Delay Emergency Medical Care
August 9, 2020WATERBURY, Conn. -- COVID-19 has changed the way people access healthcare. Recent studies have shown that Emergency Room visits are down nationwide, and ER physicians are worried that the current pandemic may be preventing parents from bringing their children to the ER for emergencies.
“Anytime parents bring their children into the ED, it is a stressful moment, especially now during the pandemic,” says Dr. Karl Hellstrand, Director of the Pediatric Department in Saint Mary’s Hospital Emergency Department. “We know that if kids have a delay of time to their care, they can become sicker. So, it’s important to seek care rather than wait.”
Saint Mary’s Hospital, as a member of Trinity Health Of New England, is taking significant precautions to ensure a safe environment throughout their facility, including but not limited to; masking, screening, social distancing and enhanced cleaning protocols. “
When it comes to health care, especially pediatric emergency medicine, it’s important to remember that kids are not little adults; they require specialized care. Dr. Hellstrand says it is critical to have specialized pediatric emergency care in a hospital that sees 15,000 children a year.
Saint Mary’s pediatric unit is the only one of its kind in the region. The unit boasts three highly trained emergency pediatric physicians, as well as two general pediatricians working in the emergency department. Saint Mary’s is also the community training site for Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship programs at Yale and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. In addition, Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter School of Medicine has its pediatric emergency medicine rotations for their medical students at Saint Mary’s.
Physicians with Pediatric Emergency Medicine Residency and Fellowship training bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge. After three years of pediatric residency, these doctors do an additional three years of strictly pediatric emergency medicine. During that time, residents take part in many simulations. It’s a practice that Dr. Hellstrand has brought to Saint Mary’s.
Because pediatric care is a sub-specialty, and very different from adult care, Dr. Hellstrand established some very basic, yet important protocols specific to pediatric medicine. He has established standards of care for cases as common as ear infections, what antibiotics to use for pneumonias based on accurate weights at triage, up to the most severe traumas. Establishing a standard of care is important for the entire staff of any emergency room.
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, the largest volume pediatric care facility in the state, established a unit at Saint Mary’s Hospital several years ago. Saint Mary’s emergency department has worked closely with the CCMC unit to establish an observation quick admission process, to try to decrease the length of stay for patients in the ED, specifically for things like IV fluids and dehydration, things that can be managed in an inpatient setting. Saint Mary’s Emergency Department can begin the management of specific care and quickly transition the patient to the Connecticut Children’s unit.
All the programs and initiatives initiated by Saint Mary’s emergency department’s pediatric unit are meant to strengthen the programs already in place, and to elevate the level of care for pediatric patients. Saint Mary’s is deeply committed to providing high quality and compassionate care to all its patients, especially the youngest and most vulnerable members of our community.