The Record Special Sections Health Quarterly 07-26-2020 | Page 6

6 | SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2020 | THE RECORD
within 20 minutes,” says Phillip
Devadan, MD, medical director,
The Children’s Center at Chilton
Medical Center. “Families are
encouraged, but not required,
to call ahead to the Pediatric ED
24/7 phone line at 973-831-5394
to discuss safety measures and/
or to notify us of the planned
arrival.” The pediatric emergency
department at the Joseph M.
Sanzari Children’s Hospital at
Hackensack University Medical
Center is also designed with a
separate entrance and triage area
in efforts to avoid any contact
with adult emergency patients.
At Holy Name Medical Center in
Teaneck, pediatric patients are
quickly identified in the emergency
room, immediately brought
back to the triage area and moved
to a private room to be evaluated
by a board-certified pediatrician.
“We also have an in-house
pediatrician along with pediatric
sub-specialists available round
the clock for consultations,” adds
Joanne P. Kambolis, MD, FAAP,
pediatric attending physician,
Holy Name Medical Center.
In addition to more rigid admittance
procedures due to the coronavirus,
each hospital is following
stringent protocols during these
challenging times:
n Isolating those with COVID-19
or related symptoms in separate,
designated areas and units.
Dr. Phillip Devadan
n Everyone from staff personnel
to patients and visitors are
required to wear a mask. Pediatric
teams are wearing the appropriate
PPE equipment including face
shields when necessary as it
can be difficult for very young
children to keep a mask on during
the entire evaluation.
n Deep and rigorous cleaning
of care sites between patients and
multiple times throughout the day.
n Every person is screened
upon arrival — patients, visitors
and employees — including taking
temperatures with a no-touch
thermometer.
Experienced pediatric caregivers
understand the importance of
putting a child’s fears to rest by
winning trust from the onset. But
equally important is winning the
trust of the parents or guardians.
HEALTH QUARTERLY / ADVERTISING SECTION
COVER STORY
Children’s Health: Taking Your Child to the ER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
By including the parents and the
child in the process, the family feels
informed and part of the decisionmaking.
“The fact is that we do this
on a daily basis and have become
pretty good at taking our time and
remaining flexible to assure that
both the child and the parents are
at ease,” says David M. Walker,
MD, FAAP, FACEP, division chief,
Pediatric Emergency Medicine,
Hackensack University Medical
Center. “As pediatricians, we are
pros at assessing a child’s developmental
age, not their stated age
to more appropriately handle their
needs.” There’s no one size fits all
approach when it comes to treating
children.”
All three hospitals have Child
Life Specialists trained to help
children and their families understand
and manage
the
hospital
experience
and
minimize
the stress
and anxiety
that
can often
accompany
a
hospital
stay and
Dr. David M. Walker
medical procedures. “Our team
has a deep understanding that
children and their parents can feel
very vulnerable in an emergency
situation,” continues Dr. Kambolis.
“We support those fears through
empowering the child by giving
them choices and highlighting
their strengths.”
A pediatric emergency department
is a much different place
than an adult ER. Brighter colors
and child-friendly images create a
feeling of safety and security. You
might see fun murals, an aquarium,
books and magazines, games and
portable DVD players to keep your
child engaged and calm. Pediatric
emergency departments have
different-sized equipment than
their adult counterparts. Afterall,
children are not just small adults;
they come in all different sizes.
“Catheters and airway apparatus
are available to meet the needs of
children at any age. Medications
are weight-based and often compounded
into liquid when a child
can’t swallow a pill. Special care is
taken to ensure that the dose and
rate of medication delivery is tailored
to the child’s needs,” explains
Dr. Devadan.
If your child has a true health
emergency, a pediatric Emergency
Room is a safe place to get the
care they need. A delay in care
can negatively impact your child’s
health in the long run. “As an
academic teaching hospital,
Hackensack has the resources
to provide comprehensive care.
Often there are residents and
medical students repeatedly
asking questions which can be
Dr. Joanne P. Kambolis
tiresome as a parent when you
simply want answers as to what
is going on with your child,” Dr.
Walker acknowledges. “However,
in the end it’s really that many
more brains thinking about what’s
best for your youngster.” With
cooler weather only a few months
away, it may be more important
than ever to seek out the ER to
determine if your child is coughing
and congested because of the
common cold, flu or something
more serious. A trip to the ER can
be just what the doctor ordered to
keep your child happy and healthy.
Non-emergency: Virtual Visits and Walk-in Care Centers
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH
CONVENIENT CARE
Hackensack Meridian Health, with
Hackensack University Medical Center as
part of its health network, offers a variety
of care options, including virtual visits and
walk-in urgent cares. For minor illnesses
and injuries, such as allergies, cold and flu,
bug bites, rashes, etc., Hackensack offers
24/7 on-demand video visits for both adults
and children from the Convenient Care
NOW app at www.ConvenientCareNOW.
com. Board certified physicians respond
within 20 minutes; no appointment is
needed, said Rachel Weiss, vice president,
Telehealth & New Business, Hackensack
Meridian Health.
In the beginning of the coronavirus
pandemic, Convenient Care serviced 2,200
patients each month in March and April;
compared to about 750 a month now,
Weiss said.
Hackensack Meridian has nine urgent
care locations throughout New Jersey.
These locations have a lab, EKG and X-ray
machines on site. You can walk-in, call for
an appointment or reserve a time online,
said Michael Geiger, vice president, Care
Transformation Services, Hackensack
Meridian Health.
Weiss said she recalled a time when
Convenient Care NOW helped a mother
whose child awoke in the middle of the
night with a high fever and ear pain. Within
minutes, the parent was speaking to a doctor
via the app.
“The idea is getting the right care at the
right time in the right place,” Weiss said.
ENGLEWOOD HEALTH
Englewood Health, which includes
Englewood Hospital, has also added urgent
care to its list of health care options.
Englewood Health Urgent Care in Cresskill
provides adult and pediatric urgent and
non-urgent medical care seven days a
week, with extended weekday and weekend
hours. Urgent care health care providers
are able to assist with illnesses and injuries,
as well as pre-employment, camp and
school physicals, lab tests, X-rays, vaccinations
and other types of care.
“The addition of Englewood Health
Urgent Care is one more way we are meeting
the needs of our community,” said
Stephen Brunnquell, MD, president of the
Englewood Health Physician Network. “We
are providing convenience and improved
care for Bergen County patients with nonemergency
medical needs.”
Patients with minor injuries and illnesses
See URGENT CARE Page 10