FARMINGTON — MaineHealth Franklin Hospital was recognized for excellence in pediatric emergency
preparedness on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

MaineHealth Franklin Hospital was recognized for its readiness to care for the youngest members of our community. With a score of 74, Franklin’s emergency department [ED] qualified as “pediatric ready.”

The Always Ready for Children program [ARC] is a collaborative project to set up a state and region-wide recognition system for emergency departments best prepared to care for pediatric emergencies. The program is developed and managed by the Maine State EMS for Children State Partnership Program.

The ARC program is a voluntary recognition program that aims to ensure that every ill and injured child receives appropriate emergency medical care within Maine-based emergency departments. In order to be considered for the ARC designation, the hospital must have an active pediatric emergency care coordinator, complete the National Pediatric Readiness Assessment, develop an internal readiness improvement plan to address any identified gaps and opportunities within the hospital, and submit an ARC commitment letter.

The regional ARC program was created by the area’s EMSC programs to improve care across our states, which vary greatly in demographics and access to pediatric emergency care. The variance in availability and access to care often leads pediatric patients to cross state borders for continued, higher level or specialized care. This regional structure requires a more unified approach to pediatric preparedness to ensure standards for pediatric care are met.

Participating states include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. It is the largest unified approach to pediatric readiness recognition in the United States.

Emergency Departments follow a checklist developed by the national EMS for Children Innovation & Improvement Center [EIIC], American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], American College of Emergency Physicians [ACEP], and the Emergency Nurses Association [ENA].