After 10 years, the community’s only children’s ER, located at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, has a new, bigger space.

The new Breidegam Family Children’s ER is doubled in size and built just for kids to get the specialized care only Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital can provide.

Highlights of the expansion, made possible by the generous support of the Breidegam Family, include:

• Dedicated entrance and waiting area. The waiting area includes a play area and family-friendly amenities, like a café.

• More treatment rooms. The number of beds has increased from 12 to 27. Each room is equipped for any type of treatment and resuscitation, depending on the level of care needed. With dedicated behavioral health rooms and a fast-track area, kids get the appropriate level of care in the safest and most efficient way possible. Additionally, there will be a 12-bed pediatric observation area when kids need extra care without a full inpatient hospital stay.

• Pediatric-specific services. The Children’s ER will be supported by dedicated X-ray, ultrasound and pediatric pharmacy services.

• Expert physician and nursing staff. Board-certified pediatric emergency physicians will provide 24/7 coverage along with pediatric nurses and nurse practitioners.

“Our Children’s Hospital brings more than 20 years of pediatric expertise under one roof to give you access to more than 30 pediatric specialties, close to home,” said Brian A. Nester, DO, MBA, LVHN’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The opening of this new space concludes more than two years of construction to expand both the adult and Children’s ER.”

The Children’s ER at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital treats nearly 22,000 children annually, nearly double the number of patients compared to when it first opened. The new Breidegam Family Children’s ER will provide even greater access to expert emergency care and will enhance LVHN’s ability to care for children and their families in a new space with features just for kids, including:

• Child-life specialists to help kids cope with an ER visit

• Child-friendly designs for kids of all ages -newborn to teens

• Sensory friendly spaces

• Spacious waiting room with a play area and café

• Rapid transportation to the Children’s ER

When your child has an injury or illness that requires emergency care, they may be transported to the Breidegam Family Children’s ER by ambulance or helicopter. The LVHN MedEvac transportation team is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by paramedics and registered nurses with education and experience in providing pediatric critical care.