Shikha Yashwant Kothari1, Sarah C Haynes1, Ilana Sigal1, Julia N Magana2, Timothy Ruttan3, Nathan Kuppermann, Timothy Horeczko4, Lorah Ludwig5, Larry Karsteadt6, Wendy Chapman6, Vickie Pinette7, James P Marcin1. 1. From the Department of Pediatrics. 2. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA. 3. Department of Pediatrics, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. 4. Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA. 5. Emergency Medical Services for Children, Division of Child, Adolescent, and Family Health, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD. 6. North Coast Emergency Medical Services, Eureka, CA. 7. Sierra-Sacramento Valley Emergency Medical Services, Rocklin, CA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To share the process and products of an 8-year, federally funded grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration Emergency Medical Services for Children program to increase pediatric emergency readiness and quality of care provided in rural communities located within 2 underserved local emergency medical services agencies (LEMSAs) in Northern California. METHODS: In 2 multicounty LEMSAs with 24 receiving hospital emergency departments, we conducted focus groups and interviews with patients and parents, first responders, receiving hospital personnel, and other community stakeholders. From this, we (a regional, urban children's hospital) provided a variety of resources for improving the regionalization and quality of pediatric emergency care provided by prehospital providers and healthcare staff at receiving hospitals in these rural LEMSAs. RESULTS: From this project, we provided resources that included regularly scheduled pediatric-specific training and education programs, pediatric-specific quality improvement initiatives, expansion of telemedicine services, and cultural competency training. We also enhanced community engagement and investment in pediatric readiness. CONCLUSIONS: The resources we provided from our regional, urban children's hospital to 2 rural LEMSAs facilitated improvements in a regionalized system of care for critically ill and injured children. Our shared resources framework can be adapted by other regional children's hospitals to increase readiness and quality of pediatric emergency care in rural and underserved communities and LEMSAs.
OBJECTIVES: To share the process and products of an 8-year, federally funded grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration Emergency Medical Services for Children program to increase pediatric emergency readiness and quality of care provided in rural communities located within 2 underserved local emergency medical services agencies (LEMSAs) in Northern California. METHODS: In 2 multicounty LEMSAs with 24 receiving hospital emergency departments, we conducted focus groups and interviews with patients and parents, first responders, receiving hospital personnel, and other community stakeholders. From this, we (a regional, urban children's hospital) provided a variety of resources for improving the regionalization and quality of pediatric emergency care provided by prehospital providers and healthcare staff at receiving hospitals in these rural LEMSAs. RESULTS: From this project, we provided resources that included regularly scheduled pediatric-specific training and education programs, pediatric-specific quality improvement initiatives, expansion of telemedicine services, and cultural competency training. We also enhanced community engagement and investment in pediatric readiness. CONCLUSIONS: The resources we provided from our regional, urban children's hospital to 2 rural LEMSAs facilitated improvements in a regionalized system of care for critically ill and injured children. Our shared resources framework can be adapted by other regional children's hospitals to increase readiness and quality of pediatric emergency care in rural and underserved communities and LEMSAs.
Authors: Halden F Scott; Allison Kempe; Lalit Bajaj; Daniel M Lindberg; Ashley Dafoe; Brooke Dorsey Holliman Journal: Ann Emerg Med Date: 2022-07-13 Impact factor: 6.762