The Kentucky Pediatric Emergency Care Coalition (KPECC) is a voluntary and collaborative effort among hospitals and other stakeholders to improve emergency department pediatric readiness and care across the Commonwealth.
Every hospital is invited to participate. This work and content may be of particular interest to ED Nurse Managers/Directors, ED Medical Directors and Physicians, Hospital Administrators, and individuals working with Quality Improvement Programs, Trauma Programs, Disaster Planning, and Risk Management.
Become a Recognized Pediatric Ready Emergency Department
History of KPECC
KPECC came about due to the KYEMSC Program work on federal performance measures regarding the development of a pediatric facility recognition program and other national activities like the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP). The available evidence was clear that the quality of and access to emergency pediatric care was highly variable across the country and the state of KY was no exception. It was also clear that facility recognition programs could lead to significant improvements in pediatric readiness and growing evidence that improved readiness could lead to improved patient outcomes.
In January 2016, KYEMSC hosted a stakeholders meeting in Louisville, KY, to rally interest and identify champions for this important work. Approximately 35 people attended the 2-day meeting where they reviewed the available evidence and explored successful programs from other states. The group reached a consensus that a voluntary and collaborative effort, involving all stakeholders, could make a real difference in the availability and quality of emergency pediatric care in Kentucky.
Shortly after this meeting, KYEMSC was chosen to participate in a national program, the EMSC - Facility Recognition Collaborative (FRC), focusing on helping states develop and implement pediatric readiness and facility recognition programs. KYEMSC assembled the required team to attend the FRC in-person workshops and workgroup conference calls. Additional team members were selected to assist in the development of a Kentucky specific plan through monthly conference calls and meetings. The attendees at the original stakeholders meeting became the foundation for KPECC, with the team of eight individuals who were working on the FRC activities forming the initial KPECC Steering Committee.
Starting in January 2017, KYEMSC has hosted the first annual meeting of KPECC, with all Kentucky hospitals and interested partners invited to participate. The annual meeting is a time to provide an update to attendees on the previous year's activities and solicite feedback from the group to guide future program development. It also provides an opportunity to share clinical content and quality improvement processes that will lead to improvements in pediatric emergency care. Details about and documents from each meeting can be found in the sections below.
KPECC Steering Committee Members:
Morgan Scaggs, KYEMSC Project Director, Kentucky Board of EMS
Richard Bartlett, Emergency Preparedness and Trauma Coordinator, Kentucky Hospital Association
Dr. Mark McDonald, Medical Director, Norton Children s Hospital
Dr. Katelyn Yackey, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Kentucky Children s Hospital
Dr. Mary Fallat, KYEMSC Program Director, University of Louisville, Norton Children s Hospital
Dr. Wesley Brewer, Past - President of the KY Chapter of the American College of Physicians
Mary Raley, President of the KY Chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association