In 2020, Rifle-based Grand River Health scored a 51 out of 100 on a pediatric readiness assessment. Now, the public hospital sits at 97.5 percent, putting it among the top 10 percent of EDs nationwide.
Leaders attribute the improvement to several simple, cost-effective strategies it has implemented over the past three years, including:
- Appointing child-emergency coordinators
- Color-coding medication and equipment stored in the ED based on a child’s size
- Training ED physicians to perform procedures on children, such as how to create emergency airways
- Educating physicians on CT scan guidelines and revising computerized protocols to better inform treatment decisions
Despite having limited financial resources, the hospital was able to easily afford the improvement initiatives, according to Grand River Health CEO Jim Coombs. The biggest costs included two $3,000 infusion pumps designed for children and $8,000 spent on emergency department education and staff training.
Earlier this month, a Journal investigation found that only 14 percent of emergency departments nationwide are certified as ready to treat children or are children’s hospitals designed to care for young people. In May, Grand River Health became the first facility in Colorado to complete a new pediatric-readiness certification program.
