When children need emergency care
If your child is so ill or injured that you’re headed to the emergency department, you
absolutely want expert care when you get there.
And that’s just what you’ll find at Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta. In January
2014, its emergency department was officially designated “kid-qualified.” This
means it voluntarily met tough national standards for treating children called for by
the American Academy of Pediatrics and more than 20 other medical associations.
“While the standards are not yet mandatory, they’re crucial,” says Martin Towbin,
MD, medical director of the emergency department at Mercy Mt. Shasta. “They
reflect the fact that children aren’t just miniature adults. They require specialized
care and medical professionals who can deliver it.”
To provide that care, the emergency department:
Ensures that all doctors and nurses receive yearly training in pediatric emergency
care
Conducts frequent drills so its medical staff can quickly respond to life-threatening
emergencies involving children
Regularly verifies that all policies ensuring patient safety are followed
Collaborates with pediatric intensivists—specialists who care for seriously sick
children—at the UC Davis Medical Center
Lisa Bennett, MSN, director of the emergency department at Mercy Mt. Shasta,
confirms: “We have the determination and expertise to ensure that every infant and
child we treat receives the best possible care.”
Dignity Health North State News
5 reasons to
get a flu shot
Every year there’s a flu season.
And every year people come up
with reasons not to get a flu shot.
But here are five reasons why
you should get vaccinated against
the flu this year (and every year):
1.
The vaccine offers protection
from three flu viruses—the
viruses deemed most likely to
circulate this year.
2.
A flu vaccine is now recom-
mended for everyone age
6 months and older. It’s almost
universal. Talk to your doctor if
you have concerns.
3.
The flu can make you very sick.
Symptoms include fever, sore
throat, headache, and fatigue.
It can also lead to more serious
illnesses, such as pneumonia.
4.
The flu vaccine won’t give you
the flu. The sooner you get
vaccinated, the sooner you’re
protected.
5.
Getting the flu vaccine helps
protect you and those around
you. Skipping the vaccine puts
their health at risk too.
Check in with a doc-
tor about getting your flu
vaccine. To find a physician, call
888.628.1948
.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Act of kindness No. 2:
Read a favorite story to a child.
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