• Helps parents get swift specialized emergency care for ill or injured children even after doctors' offices are closed.
• Is open 4 p.m.- midnight, 7 days a week.
• Is located in the hospital's Emergency Department

Here is the story of seven-year-old Casey Miller's visit to the Children's Emergency Center at Bridgeport Hospital.

"It was 7 p.m. and Casey was vomiting and becoming dehydrated from a stomach virus," recalls Casey's mother, Dorothy Miller. "Our pediatrician had given Casey some medication earlier in the day and said that if it didn't stop her from vomiting, to bring her to Bridgeport Hospital."

The Millers arrived at the Children's Emergency Center after a quick ten-minute drive from Trumbull. The specially trained staff took Casey and her family to one of four dedicated exam rooms and immediately began intravenous hydration therapy. The treatment stopped Casey's vomiting and three hours later Casey and her mom were back home, both in better spirits.

"Going to a hospital can be a scary experience for anyone, especially a child," Dorothy Miller says. "The fact that the Children's Emergency Center at Bridgeport Hospital is just for kids makes the hospital visit less stressful for children and their parents. You know that your child is getting skilled, specialized care in the right surroundings."

"The Children's Emergency Center provides specialized care in a private, child-friendly area," says Dr. Michael Werdmann, Chairman of the Emergency Department and the center's Medical Director. "The presence of pediatric nurses who are attuned to the special needs of children and their families is a major plus."

Dr. Werdmann's observations are echoed by clinical services manager Shery Watson, RN. "Coming to the hospital with a sick child can be very stressful," Watson says. "Our nurses are specialty trained in pediatrics and provide a wealth of information to patients and their families."

The Children's Emergency Center is open 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. seven days a week. Waiting, registration and examination areas are separate from the main Emergency Department for the convenience and privacy of children and their families. The center also provides support to community pediatricians who do not maintain extended evening or weekend office hours.