Pediatric & Young Adult Emergency Department

Emergency Services for Children and Young Adults

The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Pediatric & Young Adult Emergency Department at Rochester General Hospital offers complete medical, surgical, and psychiatric services. Our ED pediatricians also offer extensive pediatric consultations in infectious diseases, behavioral pediatrics, adolescent medicine, neonatology, and lead poisoning. Because your child?s health is important to us, our Pediatric & Young Adult Emergency Department was designed to maximize care, comfort, and dignity, and is completely separate from the adult ED. With increased square footage and number of patient care rooms, all new equipment, and easier access to radiology services, we have all the space and technology available to offer you and your child first class service. We?re located on the ground level of Rochester General Hospital.

Visit Us at Rochester General Hospital

Evaluating Your Emergency

Our team of specially trained and qualified physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician?s Assistants, and Pediatric RNs offer the following emergency department evaluation services.

Registration

Following a very brief interview with our registration staff, which includes communicating your child?s name, date of birth, and reason for ED visit, our staff will conclude the registration process after your child is triaged. We may ask you for the following information:

• your insurance card
• identification for proof that you are the child?s legal guardian (so that you can consent to treatment)

Triage

Triage is used to determine which patients are the sickest and require the most immediate care right away. In evaluating your child?s need for immediate care, a pediatric nurse will:

• ask about your child?s health problem
• examine your child
• check and monitor your child?s weight, temperature, heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and oxygen level
• determine in what order your child will be seen

Waiting Room

You and your child can wait in the waiting room until we can see your child. You are welcome to use the toys and vending machines, or visit the snack bar in the main Emergency Department waiting area. We do ask that you do not bring food or drink into the treatment area of the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Please tell the triage nurse if your child:

• seems to be getting sicker
• needs to use the bathroom
• is leaving the waiting area for a long period of time
• wants to eat or drink

We are taking every precaution to keep you and your family safe during COVID-19.

What to Expect

We cannot predict everything that might happen in the Pediatric and Young Adult Emergency Department, but you should be prepared for the following circumstances.

When You are Seen

1. A pediatric nurse will call you to an exam room
2. A health care provider (doctor, fellow/intern, pediatric nurse practitioner and/or pediatric nurse) will examine your child
3. Tests or treatments will be started as needed. You may be asked to leave the room during some tests, such as x-rays
4. When the ED visit is done, your child will either be discharged (allowed to leave) or admitted to the hospital

Discharge

We will send a copy of the medical record to your child?s primary care physician or pediatrician, in addition to your child?s discharge paperwork. We will ask you to:

• listen and ask questions while we explain home care for your child
• call your child?s doctor for follow-up on the health problem and on insurance issues if you are insured by an HMO (Preferred Care, Blue Choice)

You will be able to find all this information in your child?s MyCare account, which allows you to securely connect with your medical providers and manage health information 24/7.

Admission

If your child is admitted to the hospital, the providers in the Pediatric Emergency Department will talk you through the care plan. Your child?s primary care doctor will likely visit the next day. We ask you to: 

• talk to the Admissions Office about your child?s stay
• wait a little longer while your child?s hospital room is prepared
• have an ED aide take you to the room
• meet the floor nurse and ask him or her any questions you may have