The Steven Z. Miller Emergency Pediatrics Leadership Academy provides training for select emergency physicians and nurses in order to prepare these individuals to assume positions of pediatric leadership in their community hospital emergency departments and join a broader national network of leaders in Emergency Pediatrics.
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Committee on the Future of Emergency Care 2006 report (titled ‘Emergency Care of Children: Growing Pains’) noted that 90% of emergency department visits by infants and children in the United States occur at community hospital emergency departments that are staffed almost exclusively by general Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians who are not pediatricians or Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) fellowship- trained. The study highlighted the discomfort many community hospital emergency providers feel when caring for infants and children as compared with their adult patients. More recently, a 2015 survey of community hospital emergency physicians and nurses revealed similar results, as 75% of physicians surveyed indicated only ‘slight’ knowledge of pediatrics, most physicians and nurses felt uncomfortable identifying and caring for critically-ill children and 100% of physicians and nurses desired additional pediatric education. Seeking to address these issues, the NAS committee outlined the need for the appointment of a physician, in addition to a nurse or other colleague, to share pediatric leadership within all community hospital emergency departments, whose role would include ensuring adequate skills and knowledge among fellow ED providers, oversight of pediatric care, and quality improvement initiatives within the department. Since the gold standard for expertise in pediatric emergencies is fellowship training and board certification in Pediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM), these PEM physicians would be most qualified to assume these positions. However, the absence of adequate numbers of subspecialty trained PEM physicians within the pediatric emergency care workforce precludes this as an option for most emergency departments, "In fact, only 23% of non-pediatric" emergency departments have a single PEM-trained specialist on staff, leaving a void of pediatric leadership for the vast majority of community hospital EDs.
Link to read full report online.
The Steven Z. Miller Emergency Pediatrics Leadership Academy offers a new pathway for qualified general Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners who already have pediatric experience, to acquire additional training and expertise in pediatric emergencies. The academy prepares these select individuals to assume positions of pediatric leadership in their emergency departments and provide pediatric education for their fellow ED providers, oversight of pediatric care, and quality improvement initiatives. The academy also helps graduates of the program establish on-going relationships with a national network of leaders in Emergency Pediatrics.
Enrollment will be limited to no more than six attendees per class cycle in order to maximize learning opportunities for individual participants. Instructional sessions will be combined with hands-on workshops and simulation practice. During these training sessions, four areas of Emergency Pediatrics that are crucial for the community hospital emergency department setting will be explored in depth:
Discussions led by faculty who are experts in the field of Emergency Pediatrics include both a series of evidence-based algorithms tailor-made for community hospital emergency providers, and many useful tips and ‘pearls’ for clinical practice. New research and recent innovations in Emergency Pediatrics with potential for changing clinical practice will complement these discussions.
Discussions are delivered to participants in an organized and systematic manner along with written and online educational materials they can share with their community hospital emergency department colleagues. After attending the academy and satisfying the educational requirements, on-going faculty support is provided to graduates so that they will in turn be able to spearhead educational initiatives and improvements in these areas in their own emergency departments, and helps them become part of a broader national network of leaders in Emergency Pediatrics.
Highly motivated emergency physicians, PA’s, NP’s, and nurses who practice in community hospital and other non-pediatric emergency departments and are already in a pediatric leadership role, or those with pediatric experience who are seeking to expand their role in the department to become pediatric leaders are strongly encouraged to attend this academic in order to build their leadership skills and knowledge in the area of pediatric clinical education as well as to establish a network of contacts with national leaders in emergency pediatrics they can forge ongoing relationships with for the future they and their departments can take advantage of.
Columbia University Medical Center in New York City
For further information and enrollment, ED Directors may email academy@pepnetwork.org or call 212-305-9825.
