Miami Children's Hospital Expands Emergency Department

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - No parent likes to wait for medical attention when their child is in pain.

To better serve the community, Miami Children's Hospital's has added 20 new exam rooms in their Emergency Department as part of an expansion project.

"The Emergency Department at Miami Children's is an invaluable resource within our community," said hospital COO Martha McGill in a statement. "This expansion is a testament to our commitment to anticipating the needs of the families we serve and offering an environment that is supportive of those receiving care."

In addition to the additions and enhancements in the Emergency Department, construction is near finished on the M.B. Fernandez Trauma Center, which will expand the treatment facility for South Florida's only freestanding pediatric trauma center.

Once the project is completed in early 2015, the Emergency Department will have 72 new exam rooms and offer "specialized areas for enhanced patient flow from triage to discharge, optimizing the patient and family experience," according to the hospital.

Miami Children's Hospital Emergency Department sees approximately 100,000 children a year.

For the past two years, readers of South Florida Parenting magazine have chosen Miami Children's ED as the recipient of the publication's "Kids Crown Award" for "Best Pediatric ER" in Miami-Dade.