Most children in the U.S. do not have timely access to ERs that fully meet the essential guidelines for pediatric readiness

NEW YORK, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent Journal of Pediatrics article, "Access to High Pediatric-Readiness Emergency Care in the United States," reveals startling information on the accessibility and preparedness of U.S. ERs for children. A survey of 4,146 ERs revealed that 94% of U.S. children could travel to any ER within 30 minutes but only 34% of U.S. children could travel to an ER that fully meets the essential guidelines for pediatric readiness within 30 minutes.

Children have unique medical needs and need timely, specialized care in an emergency. ERs have different levels of preparedness for pediatric emergencies, with varying degrees of training and equipment.

The Emergency Medical Services for Children developed a pediatric readiness score to more accurately reflect an ER's availability of pediatric-specific equipment, personnel, and processes. Their 2013 National Pediatric Readiness Assessment revealed most ERs in the U.S. are not fully compliant with guidelines for pediatric readiness.

While there are available ERs within a reasonable distance for most families, two-thirds of U.S. children do not have timely access to ERs with high pediatric readiness.

R Baby Foundation has collaborated with the Emergency Medicine Network (EMNet) at Massachusetts General Hospital on an enhanced version of the EMNet findERnowtm mobile app. With the touch of a screen, findERnow quickly helps users find the distance and directions to the closest ERs and see which are more likely to be prepared to treat children. The enhanced pediatric version, available with a $0.99 subscription, allows access to more specific information, including the availability of pediatric emergency care coordinators (PECCs). ERs with a PECC are more likely to have the latest pediatric training and supplies.

findERnow is an essential tool for all parents and caregivers and is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

About R Baby Foundation
R Baby Foundation® is the first and only charitable foundation uniquely focused on saving babies' and children's lives through improving pediatric emergency care. R Baby has raised more than $10M to fund grants for life-saving pediatric training, education, research and equipment for doctors nationwide, impacting the care of more than one million children each year. Visit www.rbabyfoundation.org.

Contact: Katie, [email protected]

SOURCE R Baby Foundation