White Building, Suite 164
Phone: 617-724-4110 | Fax: 617-726-7415
The Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) at MassGeneral Hospital for Children is a distinct child- and family-friendly unit within the general Emergency Department at Massachusetts General Hospital. The Pediatric Emergency Department is staffed twenty-four hours a day by physicians board-certified in pediatric emergency medicine or emergency medicine, pediatric residents, and emergency and pediatric nurses.
Level I Pediatric Trauma Center
MassGeneral Hospital for Children is verified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level I (highest level) pediatric trauma center, capable of providing quality emergency care to the most critically injured children.
With the availability of the rooftop helipad, the PED often serves as the gateway for acutely ill children needing access to the Shriners Hospital for Children or the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary/Mass General Hyperbaric Service as well as to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) or Pediatric Trauma Surgical Service.
State-of-the-Art Treatment in a World-Renowned Academic Medical Center
As part of MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Pediatric Emergency Department physicians have access to specialists in virtually every specialty and subspecialty of medicine and surgery, including psychiatry, critical care medicine, and trauma services.
Close Collaboration with Referring Physicians
Many of the children seen in the PED are referred by their primary-care providers. The pediatric attending is available to take referrals as well as to discuss patients who may ultimately not require a Pediatric Emergency Department visit. Referring physicians are viewed as crucial members of the team caring for children in the PED. They can expect a call back to discuss findings and proposed disposition.
Ongoing Research Ensures State-of-the-Art Treatment
The pediatric emergency medicine and trauma professionals participate in several research activities, including the National Electronic Injury Survival System (NEISS)—a branch of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Boston citywide surveillance of violence-related injuries in children.
Compassionate, Family-Centered Care
At MassGeneral Hospital for Children, we know that the time of your child’s diagnosis and treatment is a very stressful one and we strive to provide an open, welcoming environment. We believe that no one knows a child as well as the parent does: parents, along with primary care providers, become our partners in a child's care and have an active voice in all treatment plans.
Child-life specialists, trained to communicate in age-appropriate ways with children of all ages about their care, are available to the Pediatric Emergency Department, as well as a pediatric chaplain and a chaplaincy service with access to clergy of all faiths.
