Pediatric Readiness

Upcoming Webinar

The History of Pediatric Readiness and NPRP Assessments

Date: Wednesday, September 24, 5:00 pm EST
Speaker: Mary Fallat

The RCOT Field Program will support and collaborate on regional trauma system engagement in the National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP). This national initiative is led by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through its Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program. The NPRP aims to ensure every emergency department is prepared to care for children, no matter where they live. While pediatric readiness covers a broad range of clinical needs, injured children present some of the most urgent, resource and time-sensitive challenges. Trauma care plays a critical role in a hospital’s overall pediatric readiness.

The Field Program will support ED clinicians, Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinators (PECCs), and trauma teams by sharing trauma-specific best practices, tools, and strategies to strengthen pediatric care across all levels. This includes helping teams implement protocols, evaluate gaps, and align efforts with national standards. RCOT leaders will strongly endorse participation in the NPRP assessment and provide focused assistance around trauma protocols, quality improvement, and pediatric system alignment. By advancing this work across regional systems and local communities, the Field Program will help build real-world readiness so that when injured children enter the trauma system, teams are equipped, informed, and ready to deliver the specialized care they deserve.

Past Webinars

Read discussion summaries, key messaging, and speaker presentations from past webinars.

Webinar 1: Introduction to Pediatric Readiness & the RCOT Field Program

Date: July 23, 2025

Speaker: Aaron Jensen

Goal: Introduce the RCOT Field Program structure and establish the foundation for understanding Pediatric Readiness as a national priority in trauma care.

Key message: Pediatric Readiness is a nationally recognized standard that directly impacts child survival in trauma systems. This first session will set the stage for the entire Field Program series by highlighting the historical development of Pediatric Readiness efforts in the U.S., from early EMS for Children initiatives to the creation of national guidelines and benchmarks. We will examine how evidence of mortality benefit has shaped current standards and how the ACS Committee on Trauma’s Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient, 2023 formally integrated Pediatric Readiness into trauma center verification. This session will also introduce participants to the RCOT Field Program as a tool to support this work—but Pediatric Readiness remains the central focus of the series.

Call to action

Confirm your PR Champion role, collaborate with ED manager that reports PR, review your own center’s PR gap analysis, and begin reviewing your state/province trauma system’s Pediatric Readiness landscape.

Read Discussion Summary | View Speaker Slides