Overview

Having a child in the hospital is a natural cause for anxiety and concern. Community Medical Center’s pediatric team can help make your child’s hospital stay as comfortable and worry-free as possible.

Located on the hospital’s third floor, CMC’s newly remodeled 14-bed pediatric unit is staffed by a caring team of pediatric physicians and nurses led by medical director Vincent Ross, M.D., and Nurse Manager Donna Serrenti, RN. The unit offers controlled security access 24 hours a day.

Comprised of registered nurses, licensed nurses and nurses aides whose expertise is in pediatrics, CMC’s nursing staff on the pediatric unit provides care for medical/surgical patients up to 18 years of age. The unit is fully equipped to provide acute general care to children, including children with breathing or heart problems who require electronic monitoring, those with infections or disease who require isolation, or pediatric patients recovering from surgery or trauma.

CMC also has on staff certified pediatric nurses in the emergency department, CT scans using the lowest amount of radiation for adequate imaging based on the size of your child, and an exceptional team of emergency services physicians including orthopedic trauma surgeon Dr. Gregory F. Thomas.

Almost as important as your child’s experience and treatment is our unit’s atmosphere. CMC’s pediatric unit is designed to be friendly and visually appealing to children while also offering two rooms dedicated to the special needs of our autistic pediatric patients. Decorated in a soothing color palette, these rooms were designed to help reduce stress and to produce a calming effect.

The unit also features flat screen TVs with Blu Ray players in each room (and plenty of kid-friendly videos to choose from!), as well as a brand new play room.

And for parents who wish to stay on the unit to be with their children at all times, the pediatric floor offers a private Ronald McDonald House bedroom equipped with a queen bed, bathroom and shower to allow parents some much-needed rest while remaining close to their recovering child.

Scope of Care Provided

The Pediatric Unit is fully equipped to provide acute general care to children. Care is provided for children with breathing or heart problems who require electronic monitoring, those with infections or disease that require isolation, pediatric patients recovering from surgery or trauma.

The care provided includes:

Skill Levels of Staffing

Staffing is provided by Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Nurses Aides with expertise in Pediatrics. CMC has 2 on staff Certified Pediatric Nurses in the Emergency Department along with an exceptional team of Emergency Services Physicians.

In our Pediatric Unit, we have 4 Registered Nurses who are also Certified Pediatric Nurses which enhances your child’s care.

Providers

Pediatric Neurophysiology Lab

CMC’s Neurophysiology Team leads the region in this specialized testing to assist in the diagnosis and care of disorders affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles in children and adults.

Parent’s Guide to CT Scan

What is a CT Scan?
A CT Scanner uses x-rays to get a cross section or 3-D picture of various body parts.The x-ray tube circles around the body and gives information to a computer which can then be viewed by the CT Technologist. This information is transferred by computer to the Radiologist who in turn is able to view them and see any abnormalities that may be present. The Radiologist then gives a written report to the referring physician.

What will happen during the exam?
During the exam, the patient will be asked to lie on the CT Table. The technologist will then explain the importance of remaining motionless during the exam. This is especially important when children are being imaged.The CT Scanner looks like a large donut. The table will move in and out as the pictures are being taken. This may occur several times during the exam depending upon the body part being examined. In the event your doctor has ordered an exam with IV contrast, the technologist will gather information from you and explain the process in depth.

How much Radiation is given during my exam?
We are all exposed to small amounts of natural background radiation on a daily basis. The radiation used in X-rays and CT Scans have been compared to background radiation in order to understand relative radiation dose to the patient.

Is the Radiation harmful to my child?
Even small amounts of radiation carry a low risk of being harmful. The effect of a small amount of radiation is not clearly understood, but doctors assume that it slightly increases the risk of cancer. However, CT provides very useful information that your physician has determined outweighs the risk.

What is CMC doing to reduce the dose to children?
Community Medical Center’s CT Scanners are state of the art and equipped with tools to minimize radiation exposure to everyone, including children. CMC has specific protocols for children to ensure the dose to children is As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA). Community Medical Center has invested in additional resources in order to ensure our technologists are educated on the importance of imaging gently and have pledged their support by signing the Image Gently™ contract. By joining the Image Gently Campaign, Community Medical Center’s CT Scan Department is promoting optimal scanning strategies for children which are listed below:
♦ Image when there is clear medical benefit
♦ Use the lowest amount of radiation for adequate
imaging based on size of child
♦ Image only the indicated ordered area
♦ Avoid multiple scans

What should I do if I still have a concern?
If you have additional concerns, you should discuss them with your physician. Only your physician best knows your history and chooses the appropriate exams for your care.