When your child has a medical emergency, you want to know they'll be cared for by experts who understand their unique needs. Specialists in our dedicated pediatric emergency rooms — ERs made just for kids — offer diagnosis and treatment in a supportive, child-friendly environment. While every BayCare hospital ER can treat children, our designated pediatric emergency departments offer:
All BayCare hospitals are equipped to provide emergency care to children of all ages.
Our integrated BayCare network connects your child to the expert care that's needed in case of an emergency, throughout West Central Florida. Our doctors can consult from location to location, and if your child needs more specialized care, we have a dedicated pediatric transport team that can bring your child to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital from any location necessary, even if they're outside of the BayCare network.
When your child needs emergency care, we're ready. Some pediatric emergency services are available at BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel and BayCare Winter Haven Hospital, such as child-specific treatment and waiting rooms. In addition, we have three designated pediatric emergency centers that feature expert teams and a full range of specialty care, including highly skilled pediatric surgeons.
BayCare’s pediatric emergency specialists are ready to help and heal from the moment you and your child come through the door. Our pediatric ERs are staffed 24/7 with specialized pediatric teams, including pediatric emergency physicians. These doctors have years of additional training and experience in treating sick and injured children in the ER.
We understand how health emergencies can seem different in children compared to adults. Our extensive experience, along with advanced diagnostic technologies, means we can quickly assess what’s going on with your child and treat them without delay.
From cheerful décor to our child-centered care approach, our pediatric ERs are designed to make children comfortable and ease their anxiety. Here's what you can expect:
Our pediatric emergency care is supported by dedicated Child Life Specialists to help your child and family navigate the hospital experience. They understand how stressful it can be for children to be surrounded by unfamiliar sights and sounds, machines and procedures. Child Life Specialists work with your child to explain diagnoses and procedures and provide comfort and distraction during tests and treatments.
In addition, the Child Life team can help you and your other children cope with feelings about having a child or sibling in the emergency room.
If your child needs to get to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital for specialized care, you're in great hands. Our neonatal and pediatric transport team is available 24/7 to transport babies and children by ambulance, helicopter or jet. Our specialized team includes a nurse, respiratory therapist and paramedic – all highly skilled in neonatal and pediatric medicine. They provide the critical care your child needs during transport. And our family-centered care approach allows a parent or designee to ride along.
HIE is a serious, life-threatening condition in newborns that prevents the brain from receiving oxygen. A fast response is essential. Our team at St. Joseph’s Children's Hospital is ready with therapeutic hypothermia (cooling). This treatment improves a baby's chance of surviving and doing so without lasting neurodevelopmental disability. We offer therapeutic hypothermia during neonatal and pediatric transport and in our level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
BayCare has earned 17 Press Ganey Human Experience Awards® for 2025, placing our health system among the top 5 percent of providers nationwide and reaffirming our commitment to high-quality, compassionate care.
A hospital emergency room is appropriate for any life-threatening illness or injury, and pediatric emergency rooms are uniquely suited for children. If you feel your child needs emergency care, call 911 or go to your nearest BayCare ER.
The ER is the place to take your child for a serious or life-threatening illness or injury. Here are some examples:
We recommend planning ahead for health emergencies. Know where the closest emergency room and pediatric emergency room are located. And it's a good idea to post the address and phone number of our pediatric emergency centers in a central place in your home and in your phone's contact list.
Going to the ER can be stressful for your child and your family. Here’s what helps:
Be sure to bring with you:
If there’s time, pack:
