Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital recently announced that it has expanded the hours of the pediatric emergency department, now open from 9 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week. According to a press release, the increased weekend hours will allow the hospital to better focus on specialized pediatric emergency medicine.
“We can now provide patients with emergent pediatric care earlier in the day rather than having them wait until noon for a pediatric emergency specialist,” said Dr. Arie Habis, medical director of the pediatric emergency department at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, according to the press release. “Earlier access to the pediatric emergency department also eases traffic to the main emergency department, lowering wait times. This ensures children and adolescents receive the help they need faster.”
According to the press release, the emergency department at Central DuPage Hospital is a Level II Trauma Center and is staffed by certified pediatric emergency medicine physicians from the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to provide comprehensive trauma care and 24-hour availability for a variety of specialties.
“Our dual-boarded pediatric emergency doctors, pediatric nurse practitioners and pediatric specialized nurses are committed to providing the best care to children in the community when they come through our doors,” Dr. Habis said in the press release.
Dr. Habis advises parents that if they're unsure whether or not a situation with their child necessitates a visit to the emergency department, they can first contact a primary care physician to receive recommendations.
“If children are in distress, not eating or drinking, or experiencing an urgent issue where they can’t be seen by their pediatrician in a timely fashion, they should come to the pediatric emergency department,” Habis said in the press release.
