Pediatric Trauma Center/Emergency Department

Parents seeking emergency care for their child in the Triad can visit the area’s only pediatric emergency department at Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Newly-renovated, the emergency department offers a separate waiting area for children and their families.

“We wanted children to have a waiting area that was entirely their own to match the existing pediatric emergency department,” said James Hoekstra, M.D., chairman of emergency medicine at Wake Forest Baptist. “By separating the two waiting areas, children are free to sit with their families without being exposed to adult accidents and injuries no child should see.”

Renovations to the pediatric department were part of updates to the entire emergency department, which included adding four new beds to the pediatric area, five new beds to the adult section and an eight-bed fast track. In addition, the triage areas were expanded to help better serve patients. A new patient information station directs families to the appropriate areas and helps decide which injuries should receive immediate attention.

The pediatric emergency department at Brenner Children’s Hospital has pediatric-trained surgeons, anesthesiologists, emergency room physicians and a pediatric intensive care unit ready to treat any injury.

 “Children are not little adults, said Milan Nadkarni, M.D., director of the pediatric emergency department.  “In an emergency situation where every moment counts, each child deserves to receive the best care available.”

Transport Team

Last year more than 700 infants and children were transported to the children’s hospital via the Medical Center’s specially-equipped transport ambulances or by AirCare, Wake Forest Baptist’s helicopter transport system. The transport team includes experienced registered nurses and respiratory therapists who specialize in the care of critically ill children.

In addition, the Brenner Children’s Hospital transport team is one of only three critical care transport teams in the state that can transport a child while receiving Inhaled Nitric Oxide (INO).

“Our goal is to make sure patients receive the best care available in this region in a timely fashion,” Hoekstra said.