JESUP, Ga. — The Wayne Memorial Hospital Emergency Department was recognized for its commitment to strengthening pediatric emergency care in Wayne County during a Jan. 29 ribbon-cutting ceremony. Wayne Memorial was celebrated for reaching key milestones as a participating hospital in the Kids Alliance for Better Care (KidsABC). The Alliance, established in 2023, is a collaboration between Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM), its Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC) and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Children’s).
Georgia rural hospitals face unique challenges in their ability to treat and keep pediatric patients in their communities, and KidsABC is focused on improving access to quality pediatric care.
“We are now better equipped and better trained to customize our care in pediatric emergencies, thanks to KidsABC,” said Wayne Memorial Hospital CEO Joe Ierardi.
KidsABC helps participating hospitals, like Wayne Memorial Hospital, acquire child-friendly equipment, complete pediatric-specific emergency care staff training and implement the latest protocols and policies for treating children with critical conditions, such as asthma and diabetic ketoacidosis.
“Having these tools at our disposal could also reduce parents’ time spent away from work and decrease the need to travel to obtain proper care for their child, which goes back to our mission of caring for the community,” Ierardi said.
Wayne Memorial Hospital commemorated its KidsABC participation and completion of milestones with a ribbon cutting attended by hospital, Children’s, Mercer School of Medicine and GRHIC representatives.
“Today marks a very important moment for kids in rural Georgia and in Wayne County,” said Mercer University School of Medicine Dean Jean R. Sumner, M.D., MACP. “We are honored to recognize the ED staff for their dedication to pediatric emergency care training and refining their skills to provide the best care for kids. Children are not just tiny adults when it comes to the practice of emergency medicine. They require special care and appropriate equipment and tools to help keep their care here at home. Wayne Memorial Hospital has been a strong, committed KidsABC participant and has set the bar very high for pediatric care. We commend the efforts of the staff and leadership. They are making a difference in children’s lives and will continue to do so for years to come.”
“Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta congratulates Wayne Memorial Hospital on achieving this milestone,” said Marc Welsh, Children’s V.P. of child advocacy. “The objectives of KidsABC align with Children’s vision to ‘Do Everything Possible to Make Anything Possible for Kids.’ We want to ensure all the children of Georgia have access to quality health care and, by participating in KidsABC, hospitals like Wayne Memorial are building capacity to serve even more kids in their own communities.”
KidsABC brings together a network of rural hospital emergency departments, pediatric offices, regional and state pediatric tertiary care hospitals and school systems to address the challenge of health care access, which many rural families face. KidsABC participants are equipped with the necessary tools, protocols, training and education, so families have access to subspecialty care, mental health care and emergency medical care in their hometowns.
Programs within KidsABC address the challenges of distance to specialty care and limited resources. KidsABC emphasizes the importance of early intervention in achieving positive outcomes. Children’s provided specialized pediatric clinical guidance to launch and sustain these programs.
For More Information:
KidsABC Initiatives: https://den.mercer.edu/school-of-medicine-announces-community-partners-in-rural-pediatric-health-care-initiative/.
KidsABC Rural Hospital Emergency Department Collaborative Expansion: https://den.mercer.edu/musm-and-grhic-expand-major-rural-pediatric-health-care-initiative-to-newly-selected-hospitals.
Feature image: (From left) Wayne County Hospital Authority Member Melissa Thomas, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC; Wayne Memorial Hospital ER Nurse Bridgette Waters, BSN, RN; Mercer University School of Medicine Student and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Rural Pediatric Scholar Matthew Santander; Mercer University School of Medicine Director of Rural Pediatrics Projects Michael Dykes, MBA, BSN, RN; Wayne County Hospital Maintenance Secretary Kimball Clements; Wayne Memorial Medical Director and ER Physician Gerald Filmore, M.D.; Wayne Memorial ER Nurse Kenan Hand, LPN; Wayne Memorial Director of Employee Health/Education Tomi Boyd, RN; Wayne Memorial Director of Infection Prevention/Education Pam Siefken, BSN, RN; Wayne Memorial ER Manager Shelly Taylor, BSN, RN; Wayne Memorial In-House Educator and Vascular Access Specialist Austin Lawson, BSN, RN; Wayne Memorial CEO Joseph P. Ierardi; Wayne Hospital Executive Assistant to the CEO Judy Beaver; Children’s Affiliations Operations Director Pamela Mason, BSN, RN; Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center Lead Community Resource and Assessment Specialist Samantha Johnson, MPH; Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Rural Pediatric Scholar Jin Ha Kim
