Happy 1st birthday, SSP!

Fiona Francis, a clinical educator in Richmond Hospital’s Emergency Department, can pinpoint the moment when she realized that having access to a Short Stay Pediatric (SSP) unit contributed undeniably to saving a young life.

We had a two month old child in the SSP with a respiratory virus who was quite sick and required transfer to BCCH for higher level of care. Just prior to the ambulance arriving, the child had a change in condition that required emergency intervention.

“The pediatric team did an awesome job and were able to stabilize the child for transfer,” said Francis. “That was a big ‘Wow’ moment for me. The experience showed what the team had become; they remained calm, directed and focused, and gave excellent care.”

It’s one of the many times over this past year when Richmond children have benefitted from having this type of specialty care at Richmond Hospital. On June 16, staff gathered to mark the unit’s first birthday and celebrate its many successes.

The SSP’s first patient was 18-month-old Joy Cheng.

A year of pediatric care

The unit is staffed by specially trained pediatric nurses, pediatricians and surgeons. A new partnership between Richmond Hospital and BCIT has provided staff with the opportunity to enhance their expertise through a new specialized pediatric emergency nursing certificate program.

According to Catherine Marshall, clinical nurse e, SSP, having these nurses as part of the team has greatly increased the level of care provided to the pediatric population, both in the SSP as well as in the ED.

“Staff are really engaged and are really keen to learn more about pediatric care,” Marshall said.

Donations made the SSP possible

The SSP was specially designed with children and families in mind.  Its five single-occupancy rooms are fitted with medical equipment designed for smaller-sized patients, such as cardiac monitors specially calibrated for a child’s heart rate, temperature and oxygen level norms. The SSP also has a dedicated automated pharmacy system that dispenses children’s medication doses.

Richmond Hospital Foundation contributed $200,000 in donor funding to help purchase equipment for the unit. Donations from the SSP were part of the overall funds raised at the Foundation’s Starlight Gala in October 2014.

The Richmond Hospital Healthcare Auxiliary provided another $25,000, while the remaining project costs were covered by VCH Richmond.