Coming Soon
Full Throttle Emergency Speediatrics
By Stephan Viel , MD
There is no going back to how things used to be . Currently renovations are in high gear on our Halifax Health Acute Care Pediatric Unit , and come Summer 2021 we ’ ll be crossing the finish line to a completely transformed pediatrics program at Halifax Health . With it will be the dawn of a new age of pediatric care in Volusia and Flagler counties . Much more than a new coat of paint , the changes in the pediatrics program reimagines the entire way children are cared for in the Emergency Department and the hospital . What does this mean for you and your child ? Why are pediatricians so excited ? It means that every child who comes to the Emergency Department will be seen by a pediatric specialist , no matter the time of day or day of the week . It means a board-certified pediatrician - each time , every time .
By redesigning the pediatric unit so that children being seen in the Emergency Department as well as children who are hospitalized , can be cared for on opposite sides of the same unit , it means that specially trained pediatric staff can be shared by both units . It means that no matter what time of day , or what day of the week your child needs us , a specialized team of doctors and nurses specifically trained to care for children are here for your family . It means the doctor that takes care of them is a pediatric specialist , and the nurse that puts in your child ’ s IV and prepares your child ’ s medications , is a specially trained pediatric nurse - each time , every time .
By ensuring a pediatrician is on the unit 24 hours a day , it means there is always a pediatrician available in person to attend to any children who are hospitalized . By also including five intermediate care beds , and the ability to complete virtual consults with pediatric subspecialists at Arnold Palmer Hospital , it means that your family can receive the highest quality medical care for children close to home and in your community . No need to be transferred to a hospital over an hour away for the majority of children .
The sickest children needing our care also have access to critical specialists that only come from being located in the areas only Level II Trauma Center . Children who are critically ill or injured are treated by a team of specialists including emergency physicians , trauma surgeons , and pediatric specialists – each time , every time .
How does the new program work ? Any children needing emergency care will be brought in through the existing emergency department entrance . There they will be assessed by specialized nursing staff to ensure they are safe to be taken directly to our Acute Care Pediatric Unit on level six of the hospital . Any children needing immediate care prior to going to the pediatric unit will be taken to a dedicated room in the main emergency department where they will be met by both our emergency physician and pediatrics team . Children being sent in for admission by their pediatrician or family physician can bypass the main emergency department and go directly to the pediatrics unit .
The vast majority , 90 percent of children admitted to a hospital in our area are admitted to Halifax Health . This popular mandate compels us to continue to innovate in order to provide the highest quality care for our smallest patients . With the area ’ s only level III Neonatal ICU , the area ’ s only child and adolescent behavioral services , and now the only Acute Care Pediatric Unit with 24-hour a day pediatric specialists , we hope that you will choose Halifax Health for your family- each time , every time .
Stephen Viel , MD is the Medical Director of Emergency Services at Halifax Health . Dr . Viel is a board-certified emergency medicine physician who joined Halifax Health in June of 2013 .
FACTS
› Volusia Flagler Family YMCA | Halifax Health – Healthy Living Centers provide free and low-cost education and screening opportunities . Visit vfymca . org / hlc for details .
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