Emergency Medical Services for Children

Washington's Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program supports the systems approach to children's emergency medical care. We've developed teaching tools and programs to improve the care that acutely ill and injured children and adolescents receive.

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This affects care before they get to the hospital, in emergency departments and in intensive care units across our state. The program is a significant funding source for these educational activities and at times for pediatric equipment. It's a catalyst for change and a strong proponent of children's acute healthcare. It brings together many agencies and organizations committed to improving the care of children.

Contact the Emergency Medical Services for Children program manager with any questions.

Washington State Pediatric Resource Hospitals

See a list of Trauma Designated hospitals including pediatrics.

• Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medicine, Seattle. The state's only Level I Pediatric Trauma Care Center and also the region's only burn center for children. It's a major referral center for Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. Harborview is a teaching hospital, associated with the University of Washington, and is a significant resource for clinical information and support.
• Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, Tacoma. Designated a Level II Pediatric Trauma Care Center by the Department of Health. Mary Bridge pediatric specialists serve south Puget Sound.
• Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle. Affiliated with the University of Washington and is a significant resource for clinical information and support. The hospital serves patients from Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho and is designated a Level I Pediatric Trauma Rehabilitation Center by the Department of Health.
• Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital, Spokane. Designated a Level II Pediatric Trauma Care Service. The hospital's pediatric specialists provide the highest designated level of pediatric trauma care in Eastern Washington.

Contact the Emergency Medical Services for Children program manager for a resource document listing hospitals, pediatric designation and contact information.

Key Partners

EMSC Improvement Center/ The EMSC Program – part of the Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau – aims to ensure that, no matter where a child lives, the health systems in their area provide quality emergency care.

EMSC includes:

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American College of Emergency Physicians
• Western Regional Alliance for Pediatric Emergency Management (WRAP-EM)
• Pediatric Pandemic Network
• Northwest Healthcare Response Network
• Washington EMS Information System (WEMSIS)
• PEDI PART trial - the overall goal of the study is to determine the best method for pediatric airway management

Other Resources

• National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) Data Dashboard
• Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) – This site provides information on the Washington State return to play law also known as the Zack Lystedt law.
• Children in Disasters Guidance (PDF) – This is a Department of Homeland Security publication that provides resources to incorporate children into the planning and purchase of emergency and disaster equipment and supplies; provide training to a broad range of child-specific providers, agencies and entities; and emergency preparedness and response operations and activities.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Works to create the expertise, information and tools that people and communities need to protect their health through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats.
• Crisis Standards of Care – The Institute of Medicine report providing framework and tools to deliver healthcare effectively during catastrophic emergencies.
• Washington State Safe Kids Coalition – Safe Kids Washington is a network of local community coalitions across the state working to prevent the No. 1 killer of children – unintentional injury.
• Injury and Violence Prevention – The Washington State Department of Health's (DOH) Injury and Violence Prevention (IVP) Program is founded on a basic principle: injuries and violence are preventable public health priorities.
• More EMS Resources

EMSC Program Documents

Program Documents

• Pediatric Readiness in EMS Systems - Checklist 2021
• Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department (November 2018) Joint Policy Statement
• Recommended Essential Equipment for BLS & ALS Ground Ambulances 2020: A Joint Position Statement
• Family Presence During Trauma Activations & Medical Resuscitation in a Pediatric Emergency Department
• Joint Statement - Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department
• NHTSA Best Practice for Safe Transport of Children
• The Implementation & Evaluation of an Evidence-Based Statewide Prehospital Pain Management Protocol

Pediatric Technical Advisory Committee

Committee Information

Mission

The Pediatric Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) works to improve long term outcomes of pediatric medical and trauma patients through statewide collaboration, education, and research. 

• Chair and Co-Chair

Core Membership

1. Nurse with emergency pediatric experience
2. Physician with pediatric training
3. Emergency physician
4. EMT or paramedic who is currently a practicing, ground-level prehospital practitioner
5. State EMS office representative
6. EMSC Project Director
7. EMSC Program Manager
8. Family Representative

Current Projects

1. Safe Transport of Pediatrics
2. Clinical Guideline (to be determined)
3. Hospital and ED Pediatric Readiness

Pediatric Readiness

National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP)

The National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) and Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project (PPRP) empowers emergency departments (EDs) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to improve their capability to provide high-quality care for children, also known as being “Pediatric Ready.”

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Prehospital Guidelines

• Pediatric Interfacility Transfer Guidelines (Revised 2022) – These guidelines can be used to help transfer pediatric patients between facilities safely. 
• Traumatic Brain Injury Guidelines

Family Advisory Network

In 1999, the EMSC Program created the Family Advisory Network (FAN) to facilitate the inclusion of family representatives in state EMSC programs. Today, the FAN membership includes family representatives from most states and U.S. territories.

FAN representatives contribute to their state program activities in numerous ways, including, but not limited to: serving as members, chairs, and co-chairs of their state EMSC advisory committee; coordinating special community outreach projects; assisting with the development and implementation of EMSC policy objectives; and helping to plan, present, and promote educational offerings within their state.

Family representatives are also involved at the national level. Several FAN representatives sit on the federal EMSC Strategic Planning Committee and are involved on the EMSC Program Meeting Planning Committee.