ACEP and National Health Care Groups Issue Joint Statement on Pediatric Readiness in Emergency Departments

WASHINGTON, DC-The lives of more than two thousand children could be saved with new recommendations included in a joint statement issued by organizations focused on caring for young people in emergencies.

The statement from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) outlines critical steps emergency departments can take to be ready to care for sick or injured children.

"More than 80% of children who come to an emergency department go to a local community hospital, not a children's hospital," said Kate Remick, MD, FAAP, FACEP, FAEMS, lead author of the statement. "Every emergency department should be fully prepared for kids, no matter how often they see them. These recommendations save lives."

The statement informs the work of the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP), an initiative of the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program-part of the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration-in collaboration with multidisciplinary organizations. The NPRP supports more than 5,000 emergency departments nationwide to improve pediatric capabilities through self-assessments, benchmarking, checklists, quality dashboards, and other resources.

Updates to the previous recommendations include decision support tools, nationally vetted pediatric quality measures, emphasis on multidisciplinary review of pediatric deaths and adverse events for local quality improvement, deeper focus on pediatric mental health, reinforcement of the importance of immediately available, portable, weight-based pediatric resuscitation carts and use of medication dosage tools, and broader expectations for pediatric considerations in disaster preparedness.

The previous assessment published in 2023 noted improvements in five of six categories measured since 2013, including an increase in the number of emergency departments with pediatric equipment and supplies (90% to 97%) and the number of emergency departments with a pediatric mental health care policy (44% to 73%).

The upcoming nationwide NPRP Assessment period opens March 3, 2026. Emergency departments will be assessed on a 100-point scale and receive a score for benchmarking and a gap report identifying areas for improvement.

"The 2026 assessment is our chance to see where we stand-and where we can do better," said Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD, FACEP, FAAP, FAEMS, a statement co-author. "The NPRP Assessment helps emergency care teams lead efforts to quantify the progress made and improvements needed to optimize emergency care for children. Furthermore, participation in pediatric readiness efforts is among criteria for ACEP's ED Accreditation (EDAc) program, which demonstrates a commitment to quality and safety."