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| From left, Larry Mellick, M.D.; Krissy Blake; Chris Jett, M.S.H.A., M.B.A.; Edward Panacek, M.D., M.P.H.; John Marymont, M.D., M.B.A.; Owen Bailey, M.H.A., FACHE; and Danny Rickert, participate in the ground-breaking ceremony for the Pediatric Emergency Center at Children's & Women's Hospital. |
“This will create the first true pediatric emergency center at the hospital,” said Edward Panacek, M.D., M.P.H., professor and chair of emergency medicine at the USA College of Medicine. “The center will combine state-of-the-art technology with the advanced practice associated with an academic health center to improve the care provided to everyone who comes through our doors.”
Scheduled for completion in summer 2023, the new facility will more than double the current emergency department from 9,000 square feet to nearly 19,000 square feet and expand from 14 treatment areas to more than 30 areas, including 25 private treatment rooms. The project also will create two behavioral health rooms and a sensory room to enhance the care for patients with specialized needs.
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Edward Panacek, M.D., M.P.H., professor and chair of emergency medicine, speaks at the ground-breaking event for the Pediatric Emergency Center. |
The Pediatric Emergency Center at Children’s & Women’s Hospital is the only healthcare facility in the region offering specialized care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and staffed with pediatric emergency medicine physicians to best meet the needs of sick and injured children.
The expansion will strengthen the educational and training opportunities of future healthcare providers including emergency medicine residents, medical students, nurses and nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other allied health professionals. The new space will enable the installation of the most-advanced equipment that care providers will be using not only now, but for generations to come.
USA Health received accreditation from the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to establish the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, which welcomed its first class of residents in July 2019.
“This new Pediatric Emergency Center will be an opportunity to provide enhanced, outstanding pediatric emergency care education to our residents and to grow our program to better address the severe shortage of qualified emergency medicine physicians in the state of Alabama,” Panacek said.
The Department of Emergency Medicine is working to establish a fellowship training program in pediatric emergency medicine at Children's & Women's Hospital, Panacek said.
“Not only has the demand for our services grown with the population of the region, but the space requirements associated with the delivery of the high quality of care we are known for makes this expansion even more important,” said Chris Jett, administrator for Children’s & Women’s Hospital. “We will have the most up-to-date equipment that matches the high-quality team that delivers the care.”
“For many, our pediatric emergency center is the gateway to resolving their child’s medical issue,” said Owen Bailey, M.H.A., FACHE, chief executive officer of USA Health. “This project is another example of our recent efforts to increase access to the unmatched services we provide. We are excited about having the opportunity to continue meeting the healthcare needs of the children in the Upper Gulf Coast region and hopefully provide some additional peace of mind to families in the area.”
The estimated cost of the renovation, construction and equipment for the project is $15 million, with USA Health already having raised nearly the entire amount through donations and state appropriations. Walcott Adams Verneuille is the architectural firm for the facility.
View more photos from the Pediatric Emergency Center ground-breaking event on Flickr.
Watch video of the ceremony below:
