Melanie Stout: Hello, I'm Melanie Stout, Manager of the Pediatric Unit, the Professional Resource Team, Express Admit Team, and AvaSure TeleSitter. Today, I'm here to talk to you about an exciting new initiative that our emergency department and pediatric unit leadership teams are working on across the nursing division, how we are reimagining emergency care for kids by expanding pediatric capabilities in our own emergency department. We're really excited about this.

As a pediatric nurse by trade with over twenty-five years experience, taking care of kids is my absolute passion. It's where my heart is. Being in the hospital is really, really scary for kids and their families as we can all only imagine. And creating those pediatric-specific standards of care in an emergency department setting will just strengthen the care, the safe, high-quality care that we provide to them.

So, as the only hospital in the Four Corners with a dedicated pediatric unit, we're so fortunate to offer specialized pediatric care close to home. We want that experience to be a little less scary and a lot more comforting from the moment our patients arrive. So, one of the most exciting changes as we started to develop this is the transformation of four pediatric exam rooms and the beautifully hand-painted mural rooms that we have now. So, we picked four rooms in the back of the emergency department, and a local artist, Christy Clugston, came in and designed and painted some colorful spaces, that just creates a welcoming, calming environment that helps reduce fear and anxiety while supporting healing for children and their families.

So, thank you to everyone who participated in San Juan Medical Foundation's voting contest to help us choose these murals that went in the rooms. You all voted, and we're so excited to see them come to life. If you haven't been by, stop by and check them out.

The four that we voted on were the butterfly, the book that opens up with some butterflies. We have some aspen trees with deer and elk kind of in the background. It's so beautiful. I love aspen trees. We have an ocean mural and balloons that actually match what our design is up on the pediatric unit. So, really connects those two places together.

The money raised from your participation will help our peds emergency department project in so many ways, which I will talk about in a little bit. And by the way, the Medical Foundation is still accepting donations as we work to better the care and experience for our children experiencing emergencies.

While we are so very excited about the work that's currently going on to create these custom murals, this initiative is about much more than creating a child-friendly space. It's about enhancing the care we provide to our youngest patients from the moment they arrive. So, this could be for the newborn that has to come back in or all the way up to adolescence.

So, this goes beyond what children see on the walls. We are working on pediatric-focused care teams with specialized expertise. So, we're hiring EDRNs with experience in that setting who want to care for kids. We're also cross-training our peds nurses to work in that setting as well. We are really focused on a child-centered approach and want to emphasize the seamless transition from the ER to our own unit if they are going to be admitted overnight or for a few days. We want patients and families to see us as one team, with the same standards of care and that safe high-quality care that they come to expect. So, just reinforcing that quality, safety, and clinical excellence.

So back to where the money we're raising is going to. We're investing in some high-fidelity, pediatric simulation mannequins, education tools, so ongoing education for nurses and actually all caregivers that are involved in the care of kids that allows our caregivers to practice complex pediatric emergencies in a safe learning environment.

Pediatric crash carts, making sure that we have everything that we need to care for kids in this setting. This advanced technology with the pediatric simulation mannequin helps our team strengthen assessment skills, improve communication, so they're able to recognize changes in a child's condition pretty quickly, and deliver the highest level of evidence-based care when every second counts.

So, sometimes it's the smallest things that make the biggest difference. Our goal is also to provide every child with a teddy bear to provide comfort during their visit. These teddy bears can be a brave companion throughout their hospital stay with matching band-aids or pretend IVs that actually really help children. It decreases their stress and anxiety, as they try to understand what's happening through play. We're also planning to introduce colorful pediatric hospital gowns featuring fun designs like superheroes, dinosaurs, princesses to help children feel more like kids even when they're in the hospital.

And for those moments when families are waiting or children need a distraction, we're hoping to create a second inspiration station filled with art supplies, coloring activities, crafts, and games. As we've seen through the utilization of our art therapy on the peds unit, these simple activities encourage creativity, they reduce stress, and create those meaningful connections between children, families, and their caregivers. It's the equivalent of, "Here, I colored a picture for you," and we go put it on our refrigerator in our break room. It's really awesome.

Together these enhancements reflect our commitment to child-centered care, providing not only exceptional medical treatment but also an environment that promotes comfort, confidence, and healing. As the community's hospital, we're proud to continue investing in pediatric services so children and families throughout the Four Corners can receive the specialized care they need close to home.

Thank you for listening. I can't wait to see this project come to fruition. Like I said, this is something near and dear to my heart, and everybody that loves caring for kids and their families. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to opening up this special space.