After 10 years, the area’s only Children’s ER at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) - Cedar Crest, Salisbury, has a new, bigger space.

The new Breidegam Family Children’s ER doubled in size and was designed for children to receive specialized care.

Highlights of the expansion, made possible by the support of the Breidegam Family, include:

• Dedicated entrance and waiting area. The waiting area includes a play area and family-friendly amenities, including a café.

• More treatment rooms. The number of beds has increased from 12 to 27. Each room is equipped for any type of treatment and resuscitation, depending on the level of care needed.

With dedicated behavioral health rooms and a fast-track area, children get the appropriate level of care in the safest and most efficient way possible.

Additionally, there is a 12-bed pediatric observation area when children need extra care without a full inpatient hospital stay.

• Pediatric-specific services. The Children’s ER is supported by dedicated X-ray, ultrasound and pediatric pharmacy services.

• Expert physician and nursing staff. Board-certified pediatric emergency physicians provide 24/7 coverage along with pediatric nurses and nurse practitioners.

“Our Children’s Hospital brings more than 20 years of pediatric expertise under one roof to give you access to more than 30 pediatric specialties, close to home,” said Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, LVHN President and Chief Executive Officer. “The opening of this new space concludes more than two years of construction to expand both the adult and Children’s ER.”

The Children’s ER at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital treats nearly 22,000 children annually, nearly double the number of patients than when it opened.

The Breidegam Family Children’s ER features for children include:

• Child-life specialists to help children cope with an ER visit

• Child-friendly designs for children of all ages, from newborn to teens

When a child has an injury or illness that requires emergency care, he or she may be transported to the Breidegam Family Children’s ER by ambulance or helicopter.

The LVHN MedEvac transportation team is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by paramedics and registered nurses with education and experience in providing pediatric critical care.

MedEvac transport service team members can administer medication and perform procedures that typical emergency medical service crews cannot.

The LVHN - MedEvac helipad is above the new ambulance entrance with immediate access to the ER and Level 1 Trauma Center, the only one in the region with qualifications in pediatric trauma.

The opening of the expanded Children’s ER occurs seven months after LVHN cut the ribbon providing access to the largest and most advanced Emergency Department in Pennsylvania at LVH - Cedar Crest.

The project included an expanded adult Emergency Department (ER), new observation unit and trauma facilities. The new ER added 130,000-square-feet of space to the hospital’s ER, bringing it to almost 160,000-square-feet.

About 90,000 adult and pediatric patients receive care in the LVH - Cedar Crest ER annually.

The $111-million investment brings the number of care spaces to more than 200.

Information: www.LVHN.org