Pediatric Emergency Services Opening Celebrated
New pediatric ER earns high marks from families

On March 7, 2006, donors and staff gathered at Café Niebaum Coppola in Palo Alto to celebrate the opening of the new pediatric emergency services facility. Robert Norris, MD, chief of emergency medicine at Stanford Hospital, spoke of how physicians and local families conceived the idea of bringing the Packard "brand of care" to the emergency room. He then introduced Bernard Dannenberg, MD, the Davies Family Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, who explained the facility's many child-friendly features and shared glowing feedback about the new facility from a recent parent survey. Dannenberg also spoke of future needs, including expansion of the facility and staff, and technological advancements to improve efficiency.

Future Funding Priorities:

Facility expansion: Based on an anticipated doubling of patient volume over the next decade, more exam rooms and waiting areas will be needed to accommodate growing pediatric emergency care needs in the community.

24-hour pediatric medical coverage: Currently, the facility is fully staffed by a pediatric team during peak hours from 3 p.m. to midnight. Twenty-four-hour coverage would require the addition of four physicians, one nurse, and one child-life specialist.

Automated technology: A paperless system to streamline administrative work and access to health records would improve patient wait times and staff efficiency.

For more information about specific gift opportunities, please call (650) 498-7641 or email gifts@lpfch.org.

A Community Effort

More than 50 donors from the community contributed $11 million to help build and staff the new pediatric emergency facility. Contributions included a match from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.