Hospital known for excellence in preparedness for pediatric emergencies

FARMINGTON — MaineHealth Franklin Hospital recognized for excellence in pediatric emergency department
Preparation for Wednesday, November 13th.

MaineHealth Franklin Hospital has been recognized for its preparedness to care for the youngest members of our community. Franklin’s emergency department (ED) was described as “pediatrics ready” with a score of 74.

The Always Ready for Children program (ARC) is a collaborative project to establish a state and territorywide recognition system for emergency departments best prepared to provide care for pediatric emergencies. The program was developed and administered by the State of Maine Children’s EMS State Partnership Program.

The ARC program is a voluntary recognition program aimed at ensuring that every sick and injured child receives appropriate emergency medical care at Maine-based emergency departments. To be considered for ARC designation, the hospital must have an active pediatric urgent care coordinator, complete the National Assessment of Pediatric Readiness, develop an internal readiness improvement plan to address gaps and opportunities identified within the hospital, and submit an ARC commitment. letter.

The regional ARC program was created by the region’s EMSC programs to improve care across our states, which vary widely in demographics and access to pediatric emergency care. Differences in access and accessibility to care often cause pediatric patients to cross state lines for continued, higher-level, or specialty care. This regional structure requires a more unified approach to pediatric preparedness to ensure that standards of pediatric care are met.

Participating states include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. It is the largest unified approach to recognizing pediatric preparedness in the United States.

Emergency Departments follow a checklist developed by the national EMS Children’s Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA).

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