What Is a Designated Children’s Hospital?
You take your child to the pediatrician for a wellness check every year, but sometimes your child needs more than a check-up. Anytime your child’s health is at risk, it’s important to turn to the right place. A designated children’s hospital provides expert care in a child-friendly environment.
What is a designated children’s hospital, and why does it matter to you?
Designated Children’s Hospital: The Right-Size Care
The Health Resources & Services Administration defines children’s hospitals as “hospitals with inpatients predominantly age 18 or younger.” However, patient age isn’t the only defining factor for a designated children’s hospital.
A children’s hospital focuses solely on children. At Driscoll Children’s Hospital, we tailor every aspect of our specialized pediatric care to children’s physical, mental, and emotional needs.
After all, children aren’t small adults. Their bodies are still growing and developing. They are vulnerable to childhood and congenital disorders. They’re unique people with individual needs that require specialized care.
As a designated children’s hospital, Driscoll Children’s Hospital exists to provide specialized care with compassion and excellence.
Built for Pediatric Needs
Most hospitals aren’t built for children. They’re built for adults. This can be a problem when children have medical needs. Research found that fewer than 20% of American emergency departments have the equipment and personnel needed to handle every pediatric need that comes through their doors.
Since they’re built to care for children, designated children’s hospitals have everything needed for pediatric medical care. Hospitals like Driscoll Children’s Hospital can care for any child who visits the pediatric emergency department or needs other specialty care.
When children come to these child-friendly hospitals, the difference is immediately obvious. It’s seen on the walls, floors, faces, and beyond.
Because inside a designated children’s hospital, you’ll likely find the following:
- Cute, child-friendly décor and appropriately sized furniture
- Medical equipment built for smaller patients
Compassionate Experts Inside a Children’s Hospital
Along with the right equipment and environment, designated children’s hospitals have the right people in place. At Driscoll Children’s Hospital, every doctor, nurse, and other staff member provides pediatric health care every day, all day.
Despite being in the midst of a nationwide shortage of pediatric subspecialists, Driscoll Children’s Hospital continues to attract and retain experts in various fields. Pediatric subspecialists are drawn to Drisoll Children’s Hospital, where we have strong support systems in place, a wide variety of subspecialties, and the ability to care for complex patient needs.
These team members work to diagnose and treat all sorts of childhood diseases and conditions. They also know how to interact with children and make them feel comfortable in a hospital setting.
Pediatric experts who are ready to serve your family specialize in every possible area of medicine. This includes the following:
Alongside these medical experts, child life specialists come alongside young patients and their families. These compassionate professionals provide education and resources. They help the whole family prepare for upcoming surgeries and more, helping to reduce stress and anxiety throughout the healthcare experience.
Designated Children’s Hospital Improve Outcomes
In addition to specialized care and increased comfort throughout the care journey, designated children’s hospitals improve outcomes. One reason for this is volume. By seeing more children, experts at children’s hospitals better understand how to care for the needs of their young patients.
By turning to child-focused hospitals, like Driscoll Children’s Hospital, you can expect the following benefits:
- Increased likelihood of proper diagnosis
- Safe, effective care
- Reduced likelihood of complications
- Shorter hospital stays
Designated Children’s Hospitals: Where NICU Care Excels
Designated children's hospitals offer substantial benefits to children. The facility is designed with children in mind, and the staff members understand children, focusing all their energies on caring for them. Additionally, hospitals that specialize in caring for children often have higher NICU levels.
At Driscoll Hospital, we offer the highest NICU care available, and inside our level IV NICU — the only of its kind in all of South Texas — we care for any and every issue affecting your newborn. Thanks to our top-tier NICU, you get expert care for your baby, close to home.
Need expert pediatric care from your trusted, designated pediatric hospital? Find a doctor at Driscoll Children’s Hospital at a location near you.