Halton Healthcare celebrated the official opening today (Feb. 21) of its first dedicated pediatric beds at Milton District Hospital (MDH).
The four inpatient beds are geared to children up to 18 years old.
"The fact that we have now implemented this – and it was a long time coming – has just been wonderful," said Diana Guedez, a registered nurse working in Pediatrics at MDH.
"It takes stress off the families knowing that they will be in their own community, close to their home. Especially if they have other siblings, it takes away the anxieties of having to commute or be transferred somewhere else. This is an important step and allows us to further improve the care we are providing in the community."
MDH began admitting young patients to the new pediatric beds from its emergency department on Feb. 5. Patients will also be able to access the beds from MDH’s surgical department and from Halton Healthcare’s other community hospitals - Georgetown Hospital and Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital - as required.
"As the communities Halton Healthcare serves continue to grow, the pediatric beds at MDH will help more young patients access the medical care they need more quickly without having to travel outside their community," Halton Healthcare said in a press release.
Halton Healthcare also has eight dedicated beds for pediatric patients at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.