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Mount Sinai Hospital expanded its pediatric emergency room, adding more treatment areas including a special section for kids with autism.
The project, which opened for patients Wednesday, is the first phase of a $70 million overhaul of the entire emergency department at the Manhattan hospital.
The larger space has 22 treatment rooms, an increase over the 16 in the old kids ER, with iPads in most. There are also interactive video displays on some walls with games and other distractions.
A larger area will allow for more room to treat critically ill kids and a “low stimulation” room provides a quiet space for patients with autism or other sensory issues, said Dr. Christopher Strother, Mount Sinai’s director of pediatric emergency medicine.
“It’s a larger, more efficient space so people have a more comfortable place to get their care,” Strother said of the redesign. “We really tried to keep in mind that we’re dealing with children and we want them to feel like it’s a safe space and take away some of the scariness that goes with doctors.”
The hospital typically treats 25,000 patients a year in the pediatric ER, a number that Strother says could grow by as much as 20 percent with the expansion.
Strother said planning for the renovation began about four years ago and construction was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and paused during the Omicron surge when the space was needed to treat patients.
The hospital also just finished redesigning its ER space for adult patients with minor ailments. The renovation of the entire emergency department is expected to be completed in 2024.
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