About Our Emergency Center
Please visit a CHKD Urgent Care for less serious injuries and illnesses. In emergency facilities, the sickest patients are always seen first, so you could have a long wait time if you come to the emergency room with a minor illness or injury. Not sure what level of care your child needs. See our guide to help you decide.
CHKD's Emergency Center is the only emergency facility in the area dedicated exclusively to children and teens. We're also home to the region's only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center.
We hope you'll take a few minutes to learn about our Emergency Center, so you'll know in advance where to go if an emergency ever arises with your children.
Our Emergency Center is located on the first floor of the main hospital. It has its own entrance and parking, on the Raleigh Avenue side of the hospital. Using our campus map, take Entrance 1 from Colley Avenue or Entrance 5 from Hampton Boulevard and follow the signs to Emergency Center Parking (Parking E) on the map.
It's best to call your doctor before you visit the emergency center.
Children who come to CHKD's Emergency Center are cared for by pediatric emergency medicine physicians, pediatricians, nurses, therapists and technicians trained to understand and meet the unique needs of children and teens. Additional members of your child's treatment team may include trauma surgeons, child life specialists, chaplains, social workers, patient relations specialists, and others. Meet our providers.
In emergency medicine, the sickest patients are always seen first. The process of determining how quickly patients need to be seen is called triage (pronounced tree-ahj).
The triage nurse is the first medical provider your child will see at our Emergency Center. The triage nurse will examine your child, talk to you about the symptoms your child has been experiencing, and record your child's weight, temperature, heart and breathing rates, and blood pressure. With this information, the triage nurse will determine whether your child should be cared for in our Fast Track area for less severe illness or the main treatment area of our Emergency Center. Each section will call their sickest patients back first.
Waiting is often the hardest part of any trip to an emergency room. We definitely recommend bringing any items from home that will make the time go faster, such as tablets or books, and leaving other children and family members at home if possible.
If your child's condition seems to get worse while you're waiting, please tell the triage nurse.
After triage, you will go to the main waiting area. Soon, a staff member at the registration desk will call your child's name. The registrar will ask for your name, address, and child's insurance information. Guardianship papers or written permission from the child's parent will be needed if you are not the parent. A medical record will be made and a name band will be placed on the child's wrist or ankle.
Before you leave the CHKD Emergency Center, be sure you have received a written copy of the discharge instructions. Discharge instructions will include the following information:
- What is wrong with your child
- What you need to do at home
- How much and for how long to give medication (if necessary)
- When and where to have a follow-up exam
- Who to call if you have problems once you leave
For your convenience, CHKD operates a pharmacy on the first floor of the hospital. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. If your visit takes place during pharmacy hours, you may ask the doctor to send your child's prescriptions to the CHKD pharmacy so you don't have to make an extra stop on your way home.
It's important that you stay at CHKD until your child is discharged. If you must leave before you are discharged, please tell one of the CHKD emergency center staff before you leave.
Conditions We Treat
We have extensive experience handling the problems that commonly send children to the emergency department. These include, but are not limited to, the following.
- Allergic reactions
- Animal and human bites
- Asthma and other breathing difficulties
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Dehydration
- Dental emergencies
- Eye injuries
- Head injuries
- Near drownings
- Severe infections
- Seizures
- Trauma
Services We Offer
Children who come to CHKD's Emergency Center are cared for by a wide range of specialists trained to understand and meet the unique needs of children. Our medical equipment is sized to care for kids of every size, from tiny newborns to strapping teens. Our facility is warm and child-friendly to help ease fear and discomfort. Services we offer include:
- Radiology
- Lab tests
- Respiratory therapy
- Casting
- Stitches
- Special minor-care hours for non-emergencies
- Child life therapy
- Observation beds
- Consultation with pediatric sub-specialists and surgeons
Level I Pediatric Trauma Center
CHKD's Emergency Center is home to the first and only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in Hampton Roads, offering the highest level of care available to trauma patients under the age of 15. Our comprehensive trauma team includes pediatric emergency medicine specialists, surgeons, nurses, therapists, chaplains, and others who collaborate to provide medical care and emotional support to children and families after sudden, serious injuries. Learn more about what it means to be a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center here.
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