Central DuPage Hospital expands pediatric emergency department hours

The pediatric emergency department at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield is now open on weekend mornings. The department has extended its hours to 9 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

Weekends are often prime time for families to need access to pediatric emergency services for a variety of reasons, according to a news release.

“We can now provide patients with emergent pediatric care earlier in the day rather than having them wait until noon for a pediatric emergency specialist. Earlier access to the pediatric ED also eases traffic to the main ED, lowering wait times,” Dr. Arie Habis, medical director of the hospital’s pediatric emergency department, said in the release. “This ensures children and adolescents receive the help they need faster.”

When unsure if the situation warrants emergent care, Habis recommends touching base with a primary care physician to determine whether to bring a child to the pediatric emergency department.

“If children are in distress, not eating or drinking, or experiencing an urgent issue where they can’t be seen by their pediatrician in a timely fashion, they should come to the pediatric ED,” he said.

As a Level II Trauma Center, Central DuPage Hospital’s emergency and pediatric emergency departments provide comprehensive trauma care and 24-hour availability to a variety of specialties. The pediatric emergency department is staffed by pediatric emergency medicine physicians from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

For information about the pediatric emergency department at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, visit nm.org/conditions-and-care-areas/pediatrics/pediatric-emergency-department. To learn more about Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org.