Phoenix Children’s Hospital has earned recertification from the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AzAAP) as a Pediatric Prepared Emergency Care, Emergency Department.

This recertification means the Phoenix Children’s facility continues to be prepared to provide emergency care resources and capabilities for pediatric patients every day. Certification is voluntary and is a quality improvement process that includes matching hospital capabilities and capacity to established guidelines through a self-assessment process and a site visit by a team of peer professionals. Arizona is among five states to implement a pediatric emergency care system. The Pediatric Emergency certification is active for two years.

“Phoenix Children’s is proud to have earned recertification by the American Academy of Pediatrics as a Pediatric Prepared Emergency Department. This represents a continued validation of Phoenix Children’s commitment to caring for children with emergency care needs,” said Blake Bulloch, MD, Emergency Medicine Division Chief. “Phoenix Children’s had more than 80,000 emergency department visits in 2014, making it the busiest pediatric emergency department in Arizona. The presence of the AzAAP recertification as a Pediatric Prepared Emergency Department demonstrates the continued dedication and high quality care offered to patients at Phoenix Children’s,” he said.

Since 2008, Arizona Department of Health Services Office of Injury Prevention has spearheaded the effort to launch the pediatric emergency department certification/regionalized system. In 2010, AzAAP established the certification and currently conducts certification reviews and offers continuing pediatric emergency education.