Pediatric Emergency Room is 24/7
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 1, 2019
Pediatric Emergency Department Goes to 24/7 Schedule
St. Tammany Parish Hospital expands Pediatric Emergency Department in Covington
COVINGTON – As its latest expansion of pediatric healthcare on the Northshore, St. Tammany Parish Hospital announced beginning today, its pediatric emergency room will operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year.
The 24-hour schedule coupled with the June opening of a level two pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) staffed by Ochsner Hospital for Children establishes the STPH-Ochsner partnership as the most qualified and capable health system for children on the Northshore.
“When we first opened the pediatric emergency department in 2017, we went with a 12-hour schedule to be available when parents and children were most commonly coming to seek emergency care,” explained Dr. David Toups, emergency medicine specialist and medical director of emergency services at STPH. “But as our reputation for pediatric expertise has grown and more families are now aware of this dedicated pediatric emergency room, we are expanding the service to operate around the clock.”
Staffed by pediatric and emergency medicine specialists, the pediatric emergency room cares for infants to teens in emergent situations and has its own separate waiting space for families with children.
Upstairs, the PICU and inpatient pediatrics unit are staffed by Ochsner Hospital for Children pediatric intensivists, a team with specialized training in caring for patients age 18 and under in need of higher-acuity care.
These 2019 expansions and improvements in pediatric specialty and emergency care are part of a focused, years’ long effort in partnership with Ochsner to complete world-class pediatric services for west St. Tammany families.
Together, St. Tammany Parish Hospital and Ochsner Hospital for Children provide the most comprehensive health system for children along the I-12 corridor. In addition to these pediatric inpatient resources, outpatient services range from primary pediatrics in Covington, Madisonville and Mandeville, the Parenting Center and pediatric certified rehabilitation, to pediatric orthopedics and a multispecialty clinic of pediatric subspecialists from Ochsner Hospital for Children providing a full schedule of appointments in pediatric cardiology, endocrinology, otolaryngology, nutrition, general surgery, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, plastic surgery (including hand), orthopedics, pulmonology, urology and other specialties.
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A full-service acute care facility committed to providing world-class healthcare and the latest technology, St. Tammany Parish Hospital delivers today’s life-improving procedures with the utmost care to area residents with emphasis on wellness, preventive care and disease management close to home. STPH is recognized for quality, safety and the patient experience by CareChex, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, Hospital Compare, Women’s Choice and US News & World Report. St. Tammany Parish Hospital is an independent service district in a clinically integrated partnership with Ochsner Health System. Together, the two organizations focus on aligning their healthcare offerings to best serve patients and families in west St. Tammany and surrounding areas. Under their agreement, the two organizations retain their autonomy; neither partner manages nor owns the other. STPH is a self-supporting not-for-profit community hospital; it receives no tax funding. Learn more at stph.org.