Inova Loudoun Hospital’s Children’s Emergency Room celebrates 10th anniversary
Growing Up Fast
This year, the Inova Loudoun Hospital Children’s Emergency Room marks a decade of service to families in the community. As Loudoun County has grown rapidly over the years, the ER has expanded with it.
“The Children’s Emergency Room was initially established when Inova Loudoun Hospital (ILH) recognized that the Loudoun community is an area with a large pediatric population,” says B. Jill McCabe, MD, FAAP, Medical Director, Pediatric Emergency ED and Hospital Services. “In order to meet the needs of the pediatric patients in the community, the hospital set aside the necessary resources to build a pediatric ER and open a pediatric hospitalist service.”
When the ER first opened in May 2006, fewer than 10,000 children were seen annually. Now the number of children visiting the ER each year has doubled, bringing total visits over the last 10 years to more than 150,000. The most common reasons children go to the ER are: difficulty breathing, seizures, abdominal pain, dehydration, fever, lacerations, broken bones and head injuries. The ER treats many other types of illnesses and injuries including mental health emergencies. For children requiring additional care, the Pediatric Inpatient Unit offers large private rooms and playrooms for both older and younger children in a friendly, homelike environment.
Kid-Size Care
Every detail of the Children’s Emergency Room is tailored to the unique needs of kids ranging from newborns through adolescents. Inside the brightly colored waiting area, children can play on an indoor playground, watch TV or read books. To help kids feel at ease, all of the examination rooms are private, the medical equipment is hidden from view, and the rooms are well-insulated to minimize noise. Each room is equipped with an iPad and TV, books, toys and comfortable lounge chairs for parents.
“We do everything we can to be very child friendly,” says Dr. McCabe. “It’s a very bright, upbeat environment where people are really trying to put kids at ease.”
And at the Children’s ER, kids are always top priority, she says.
“In a children’s ER, it’s only the children. So the baby with a fever or a child with a broken arm takes very high priority compared to when you’re having to mix them with adult emergencies like heart attack and stroke,” says Dr. McCabe.
Pediatric Expertise
The staff is also specially trained to meet the healthcare needs of children. All of the physicians are board-certified pediatric emergency physicians, and the emergency nurses are certified in pediatric advanced life support and pediatric emergency medicine. The medical team goes the extra mile to ensure that each child’s visit to the ER is as easy as possible. For example, the staff take their time explaining what will be happening during the child’s visit. They realize that taking the time upfront relieves anxiety for both the child and the parent. “We treat kids like kids, not small adults,” notes Gina Harrison, RN, Nurse Manager of the Children’s ER.
Heads Up
To prevent and treat concussion injuries in children throughout Inova Loudoun County, the Inova Children’s Emergency Room offers a dedicated Concussion Clinic. The clinic is staffed with a multidisciplinary team that includes physicians, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, registered dieticians, and speech and language pathologists. Neurologists and ophthalmologists are also available for consultations.
“In addition to offering baseline testing for children to determine their neuro-cognitive status prior to injuries, we clear kids to return to sports safely after having suffered a concussion in order to prevent post-concussion syndrome,” says Eugenie Charles, MD, pediatric emergency medical physician at the Children’s ER.
Child Friendly
Child Life specialists are also available to help ease anxiety. “[These] are licensed professionals who are there to explain medical procedures to children and their families so they can be well-prepared prior to having the procedure done,” says Dr. Charles.
Children can also interact with Beamer, a fictional therapy dog. When available, kids age 2–10 are provided with a copy of a book about Beamer titled Beamer Visits the Emergency Room, written by a member of the Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation.
“We have made the ER kid friendly and as comfortable as possible for patients and their families,” says Dr. Charles. “And that’s what makes it different from an adult emergency department.”
We’re Here for You
Inova Loudoun Hospital Children’s Emergency Room is located at 44045 Riverside Parkway, Leesburg, Virginia. The Inova Loudoun Children’s ER is the only pediatric ER in Loudoun County. Read more about the Children’s Emergency Room.