Emergency Department
The Children's Hospital - Emergency and Urgent Care Department, 1st Floor [ Map ]
The new Emergency Department entrance is on N.E. 13th just east of Phillips/Children's Ave.
DIRECTIONS: The new Emergency Department entrance can be found on N.E. 13th Street just east of Children's Ave. (formerly Phillips Ave). Free parking is provided by the entrance.
Have a question? Click here to read our Frequently Asked Questions.
As the only Trauma 1 Center in the state specializing in pediatrics, we provide a multidisciplinary approach for optimum care to children and their families. The 21 bed pediatric emergency department (ED) sees upwards of 28,000 patients annually, providing 24-hour at care to infants, children, and young adults whether it's for emergency medicine or urgent care.
We are an academic medical center, which means physicians and staff are up-to-date on the current education, research, medical trends, technology, diagnoses, and methods of treatments. Staff is also trained to use specially-designed, age-appropriate equipment to handle medical emergencies and urgent care for children of all sizes.
Staff is not only trained in pediatric emergency medicine and urgent care, but comfortable and knowledgeable delivering such specialized services, exclusively focused on the needs of children. Many of the ED directors, managers, supervisors and staff nurses have advanced certification in pediatric care, which includes Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification.
Because we understand that our population is children, the ED environment includes wall murals, child-friendly ceiling tiles, and color splashed throughout the unit. We also normalize the environment for children by providing opportunities for play. Ours is the only ED in the state with a full-time child life specialist on staff. A child life specialist seeks to provide a less-stressful experience for patients and families in the hospital through developmentally-appropriate explanations of medical equipment, preparation prior to procedures, assistance coping during procedures, as well as normalizing the environment through age-appropriate play opportunities. Learn more about the Child Life Department.
Families are welcome to stay with their child while in the emergency department. Families are consulted about treatment decisions, and taught how to care for the child's condition. In some situations, families are invited to assist in providing some of the child's care. Discharge instructions are available in both English and Spanish.
Questions about what is "ER Worthy"? Get answers in a replay of our OU Medicine chat covering a wide range of children's ER topics:
Video streaming by Ustream
"When you are able to take away a child's pain and hurt and see the smiles return, you know you have made a difference in a way that counts."
Barbara, nurse in the Children's Hospital ER.