AdventHealth Polk County hospitals debut child-friendly ER rooms

February 25, 2021 — DAVENPORT, Fla., Feb. 25, 2021— Going to an emergency room can seem daunting for some adults, but for a small child, it can be downright scary.

AdventHealth Heart of Florida, AdventHealth Lake Wales and AdventHealth Four Corners ER have made the experience for children a little less scary with the addition of pediatric-friendly emergency treatment rooms.

Each room is decorated with child-friendly scenes on the walls and our little patients will be treated by specially trained pediatric nurses and physicians who go above and beyond to make your little ones feel safe and comforted.

“We want to make sure our pediatric patients know they are in a safe, comforting place while they are receiving treatment in our emergency rooms,’’ said Polk Market CEO Brian Adams.

Yaritza Arriaga, M.D., AdventHealth Polk market medical director for emergency services, said the soothing décor helps also helps parents relax, but the extensive pediatric training the staff undergoes provides peace of mind.

“The nurses have gone through the Children’s Outcome Resource Education (CORE) training, which uses evidence-based education coupled with clinical pediatric simulations. They also receive atraumatic care training aimed at minimizing the psychological and physical distress that can be experienced by children and families during an emergency room visit,’’ she said. “They incorporate lessons from Disney Institute which emphasizes the importance of individualizing the experience for both the children and the parents. They really seem to appreciate the extra care.’’

With kids, emergencies can happen at any time. We want you to know you can rely on us to provide 24-hour pediatric-friendly emergency care for your family.