About Pediatric Emergency Medicine

When an emergency injury or illness strikes your child, it is important to seek care from doctors and nurses who are specially trained in pediatric emergency medicine. At University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, a full-service children’s hospital and academic medical center, our dedicated staff is available 24 hours a day to handle the full spectrum of emergency situations. As part of one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals, we are able to bring in and consult with experts in other pediatric specialties as needed, and can expedite care for your child, whether it’s a simple fracture or a complex injury that requires surgery.

UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital is also home to Cleveland’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, with advanced capabilities and expertise in caring for children with critical injuries. Trauma patients at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital benefit from immediate access to the full range of pediatric medical and allied specialty services that only a dedicated, full-service children’s hospital and academic medical center can provide.

Child Life Specialists Provide Comforting Support to Our Youngest Patients

Rainbow’s Pediatric Emergency Department also has child life specialists to help make young patients as comfortable as possible. These pediatric specialists are trained to talk with kids about what is happening to them. If a child needs tests, for example, such as drawing blood, having a CT scan, or an IV started, a child life specialist will explain what is going on in developmentally appropriate terms that the child can understand easily. For young children, we often use pictures to help them understand. Our emergency center also features adult-sized beds so that a parent is able to comfort a child while they are being treated.

We offer reassurance and explanations at every step of the way. For serious emotional issues such as suspected abuse, one or more of our team of social workers will be assigned to help the child and his or her family. Because we know that emergency room visits often require bringing other children along, we have organized our waiting area especially for families.

Finding Emergency Transportation

In some emergencies – imminently life-threatening injuries or other traumatic medical situations – a child may need to get to the hospital immediately. If a parent, an EMS technician, or other professional feel the danger to the child is serious and immediate, our mobile intensive care unit or helicopter transport services are available.

Call the Pediatric Transport Department at 216-844-1111 or 800-421-9199 to set up emergency transportation to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital – any time of day or night.