Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, Va., will close its pediatric unit at the end of September, though officials emphasize the hospital will continue to provide care for children in the emergency department and make safe transfers when necessary.
Low inpatient volumes and the nation's pediatrician shortage were key drivers in the decision to close the unit, the hospital's chief nursing officer, Gina Yost, MSN, told ABC affiliate WHSV in a Sept. 16 report. Between January and August, the hospital saw 70 overnight patients in the pediatric unit.
"We're seeing trends with lower admissions for pediatric patients from the emergency department, and we're seeing this because healthcare for pediatric patients has really improved significantly," Ms. Yost told the news outlet. "We looked comprehensively at the situation and the type of care that we were giving our pediatric patients in the unit. We are looking to evolve that to our emergency department. Our emergency department sees about 9,000 patients a year in that pediatric age range from newborn to adolescent, and we're able to very effectively take care of those patients."
When the unit closes, 17 nurses will be moved to other areas within the hospital. To support the transition, the hospital is also developing an emergency department observation plan for pediatric patients.
"We want to reassure the community that we're here for them if the need arises within our emergency department to provide that care, and that care can range from minor illnesses or injuries all the way up to emergency care for pediatric," Ms. Yost said. "We are not ending our pediatric care at Sentara RMH, but rather, this is an evolution in the care of serving our children nationally."