While we are honored by our consistently high national rankings for patient satisfaction, as well as the willingness of families and friends to recommend our hospital, we are perhaps even more proud to offer families a new concept in Emergency Department (ED) services ─ one that is scare-free and child-sized.

Our Medical Director of Emergency Medicine, Dennis Hernandez, MD, oversees a highly trained team of pediatric emergency department (ED) specialists and ensures that the hospital responds quickly and correctly when a child is experiencing an emergency.

In stark contrast to a typical ED that serves adults too, Florida Hospital for Children (FloridaHospitalforChildren.com) was designed from the ground up to be child friendly. The waiting area is filled with toys and movies to keep children occupied while they wait for treatment. And once in the treatment rooms, patients will find magical and playful images dancing around the space. Even the colors of the walls can change, thanks to our state-of-the-art Philips Ambient Experience lighting system!

While our environment is playful, we take our job very seriously at Florida Hospital for Children. Every member of the ED team is highly trained in pediatric emergency care. When a child needs emergency treatment, you won’t find a more experienced, compassionate team in the region. Our goal is to quickly stabilize the child, diagnose the problem, and spring into action, all while using the most advanced technology, treatments, and techniques available.

Since emergencies can strike at any hour, our ED is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by an emergency response team. When time is of the essence and minutes count, we also have Florida Flight 1 available to transport critically injured or ill children by air. Within minutes, our pediatric/neonatal transport team will be on the scene and will accompany the child during the flight to Florida Hospital for Children. And on board are specially trained pediatric and neonatal nurses and respiratory therapists who are in constant contact with the emergency team at the hospital.