Florida hospitals may soon see new standards for pediatric emergency care

TALLAHASSEE - A new bill in Tallahassee aims to ensure that every hospital emergency department in Florida is prepared to care for children.

House Bill 355, known as the Health Care Patient Protection bill, is currently moving through the legislative session.

Jessica Nystrom, a concerned parent, shared her experience, emphasizing the importance of properly equipped hospitals for children's care.

"I've had experiences where I've had to bring my stepson to the hospital and they didn't have the right equipment, and he had a rare disease," said Nystrom.

She also highlighted the lack of appropriately sized equipment in some hospitals.

"I've even gone to the hospital where they didn't have crutches for, you know, the right size," Nystrom said.

Vanessa Oliver, a sponsor of the bill, explained its purpose.

"The purpose of this bill is to ensure that every single emergency department in the entire state of Florida, if you bring a child in, that they can be treated and stabilized," said Oliver.

Oliver noted the absence of minimum standards for pediatric care in emergency rooms under current Florida law. Of the hundreds of hospitals in the state, only 18 are dedicated to children's care, according to the Department of Health.

"It's not turning emergency departments into children's hospitals," Oliver said, "just ensures that there every emergency department has the policies and procedures on how to treat pediatric patients in place that they run drills on those."

The bill's goal is to make sure hospitals are prepared for pediatric emergencies statewide.

"It's about time," Nystrom said, expressing her support for the initiative.

In Southwest Florida, Golisano Children's Hospital is the only facility dedicated to children's emergency care. The next steps for House Bill 355 include passing through the Senate and then heading to the governor's office for approval.