This post is sponsored by The Pediatric Center at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
As a mom of three kids, I’ve learned to trust my intuition when I think something is not quite right. My 7-year-old daughter Anna was having severe abdominal pain and other concerning symptoms. I called our pediatrician’s office and talked with the triage nurse, explaining what was going on. The nurse told us to get to an emergency room as soon as I could for an X-ray. I definitely was taken aback by her urgency, but I acted quickly as I while trying to stay calm.
When we arrived at The Pediatric Center at Overland Park Regional Medical Center, – a part of HCA Midwest Health. I knew I was in good hands. I was impressed with their efficiency and attention to detail to make our visit as comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, with three kids, we’ve had our fair share of doctor and hospital visits over the years. This experience was positive due to the kid friendly, mom-approved amenities!
Check-in
The Pediatric Center offers immediate care with little to no wait times. We were helped as soon as I walked up to the window and escorted back to our room, without sitting in a crowded waiting room wondering how long it would be before we were seen.
Speed of Service
Within minutes, a nurse was in our room discussing our concerns. Just a short time later, we were greeted by the doctor on call. They both had such a friendly and comforting bedside manner and took action quickly.
Mobile Imaging
It was determined that X-rays would be needed. I was so impressed when the X-ray machine came to our room! As a mom that is trying to keep her scared child calm, this felt like such a relief to not have to wait for radiology to come get us or walk her down the hall to a dark room. She was able to get scanned quickly and from the comfort of the bed.
Kid-friendly Features
The Pediatric Center is designed just for kids. We didn’t use it on our visit, but for longer stays, The Pediatric Center has a playroom to keep kids occupied and distracted.
They also have state-of-the-art, child-sized medical equipment and technology, because as their Medical Director Dr. A Gabriel Schifman always says, “As an adult, I don’t go to a pediatric ER and kids shouldn’t go to an adult ER.”
They also understand the ER can be a frightening place for a child and their family, which is why they offer child life specialists who provide compassionate care, guidance and support. Child life specialists work directly with kids to ease their fears about their condition, hospital visits and medical treatment.
Mobile Registration
The mobile registration computer came right to our room where I had a live call with an agent who took our insurance information and payment. Like everything else, it was a simple process that made a stressful experience that much easier on me.
Expert Pediatric Care
If there was a different outcome to the X-ray, I felt confident that we would have received excellent care as they have an on-site pediatric surgical team, pediatric specialists and a pediatric ICU.
Thankfully, her symptoms turned out to be just some severe constipation that could be treated at home, not something more that required surgery (what the original triage nurse was concerned about). I was relieved everything turned out OK, and we were discharged in less than two hours.
Taking your child to the ER can be a stressful and scary time. The convenient and comforting amenities seemed like an added luxury while I was worried, but also trying to stay calm, for my child. The Pediatric Center definitely strived to make our visit as comfortable as possible from start to finish. Knowing there are options when it comes to pediatric care in Kansas City gives me peace of mind should we ever need emergency care in the future.
HCA Midwest Health offers 11 kid-friendly ERs and a dedicated Pediatric ER in the Kansas City community. Find an HCA Midwest Health ER near you.
