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TMC Pediatric Emergency returns to old location with a facelift

Posted: Oct 5, 2012 8:01 AM by Samantha Ptashkin
Updated: Oct 5, 2012 8:46 AM


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TUCSON - After nearly one year, Tucson Medical Center's Pediatric Emergency Department is now back in its original location, with a few improvements.

Patients will find the department at the West Entrance near Main Emergency, where it first opened in December 2001.

Last November, it temporarily moved to the TMC for Children Entrance, to accommodate construction. While in that location, crews began renovations at the West Entrance. "It had been about 10 or 11 years, so we wanted a fresher look," says TMC Pediatric Emergency Manager Jennie Westmoreland.

The new facility includes a sensory integration room for children with disorders like autism, or ADHD.

Nurses also have a new tool called the Buzzy Bee, which brings pain relief to patients during a shot or IV placement. "They put it above the side of wherever the needle is going to go, along with an icepack, and the children feel a buzzing sensation," Westmoreland says.

Also new, parents no longer have to check their children in at Main Emergency. They can just enter through the Main Emergency doors and head straight to the Pediatric ER.

For children with special needs, Westmoreland recommends parents tell the person at the front desk about their child's situation, right when they check in.

About 33,000 children visit the Pediatric Emergency Department every year. The hope is that the new improvements will make them feel a little more at home. "We care for our patients, we feel like our patients are like family," Westmoreland says.

The facility includes 15 beds and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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