Five things to know about our pediatric emergency department

Family-centered amenities, care teams who are highly experienced in working with young patients, and extra support to help ease the stress of a trip to the hospital – these are a few of the benefits of a dedicated pediatric emergency department, also called an emergency room.

Our pediatric emergency department at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital is a dedicated space for children who need care, with pediatric staff and a child-centered facility. In the south metro, our team at the M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital emergency department is also highly experienced working with children in an emergency setting.

When should you seek out a dedicated pediatric emergency department? What can you expect walking in? We sat down with two emergency medicine physicians to learn more – here are five things to know.

Our pediatric emergency department is staffed entirely by experts focused on care for kids.

Our team at Masonic Children’s Hospital includes pediatricians, providers, nurses, and support staff who have special training in emergency medicine for children and teens. When it’s time for treatment, this group – which includes child-family life specialists who can address your child’s emotional needs – work together seamlessly to provide care.

Our pediatric emergency department sees patients from birth through age 17, or through age 21 for children with complex ongoing medical conditions who have received treatment at our hospital.

When you arrive, a triage nurse will assess your child’s condition. We see patients based on the severity of their condition and the time they arrive. The triage nurse may also order tests or provide medication for pain or fever.

“All of our staff are skilled in child-specific procedures,” said Marissa Hendrickson, MD, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Masonic Children’s Hospital. “They’re experienced in evaluating young patients and determining the safest and most effective way to provide care.”

Our pediatric emergency department was designed with children and families in mind.

Every part of our family-friendly pediatric emergency department at Masonic Children’s Hospital is built to meet the needs of our youngest patients.

Patient rooms in the pediatric emergency department have a hospital bed, a bench for family members, and a television. Our team also has an array of movies, toys, and snacks to keep children entertained while they wait. Our facility coupled with the specialized care provided by our pediatric nurses, physicians, and child-family life specialists can help ease the stress of a trip to the emergency department.

“Our waiting room is very child-friendly,” said Hendrickson. “It’s usually fairly quiet, there’s not much traffic, and we have televisions to keep kids entertained. If there’s a room available, we’re sometimes able to bring families back to a private room to wait.”

Our Ridges emergency department is also highly experienced in treating children.

For families in the south metro, the emergency department at M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital in Burnsville is highly experienced in working with children. A large volume (roughly 20 percent) of their emergency department patients are children and teens, said Kristi Trussell, MD, an emergency medicine physician at Ridges.

“Our providers are really comfortable working with kids,” said Trussell. “All of our nurses are trained in pain management for children, and we give a lot of medicines nasally, through a spray device that goes in the nose. This sometimes allows us to avoid placing an IV, which can make kids less anxious.”

“In the winter, we see a lot of children who need oxygen treatment for respiratory infections,” she added. “Our respiratory therapists are highly experienced in assessing and treating those young patients.”

Child-family life specialists are available in the emergency department in the evenings, and present in the hospital and often available to assist during the day, as well.

If children need ongoing hospital treatment, Ridges also has a dedicated pediatric inpatient unit ready to provide high-quality pediatrics care in a child-friendly setting.

We offer easy access to ongoing specialty care for kids who need it.

Masonic Children’s Hospital is consistently ranked among the nation’s best, with access to a wide range of pediatric specialists in a family-centered environment. Children who visit our pediatric emergency department and need ongoing care can get easily connected to our world-class specialists.

“We want to make sure families know who to follow up with if their child has an ongoing concern,” said Hendrickson. “Not every medical issue can be fully solved during an emergency department visit, but we can promise to make sure their child is safe that day and we can help families figure out next steps.”

Families who visit our Ridges emergency department, or any other emergency department within our system, can also easily get connected to specialists at our world-class children’s hospital.

Any emergency department can treat children.

There are several benefits to a dedicated pediatric emergency room – the calming space, the family-centered support, and the access to unique pediatric resources within the hospital. However, any emergency room is equipped to see both children and adults.

If your child is in a life-threatening situation, call an ambulance or drive them to the emergency department nearest you, where they can stabilize your child’s condition and then plan for further care if needed.

“Emergency physicians are trained in caring for patients of all ages,” said Hendrickson. “If it’s a very serious situation – the child is having trouble breathing, is in excruciating pain, or is in another life-threatening situation – go to the closest emergency department or call an ambulance.”

Our urgent care clinics and eVisits also offer convenient care for many minor conditions – including mild cases of COVID-19, flu, and other respiratory illnesses. Learn more here.

If you’re unsure where to go, call 1-855-FAIRVIEW and ask to be directed to the M Health Fairview Nurse Triage Line. An experienced nurse will listen to your symptoms and guide you to the appropriate place.