About this Session:

Whether you are from a pediatric-specific or general hospital, children present unique needs that require special attention during a disaster. Most kids receive emergency care in hospitals which may not be properly trained and supplied for this vulnerable population. This workshop will address what to do when you must care for children in your own facility.

Accreditation organizations and the ASC Committee on Trauma Guidelines provide requirements in planning for special populations, including children. This can present challenges in understanding how to plan, what to plan for, and the implementation of best practices to achieve pediatric readiness.

Data show that high pediatric readiness is associated with:

76% lower mortality rate in ill children

60% lower mortality rate in injured children

At least 1,400 children’s lives saved across the United States each year

About the Presenters:

Kevin Arthur, HcEM-M, CHEC III, UCEM

Kevin has 35 years of experience in healthcare as a hospital-based Paramedic and Emergency Management Program Manager. Mr. Arthur worked for 19 years in the Emergency Department at a 685 bed Level I Trauma Center. At the moment of 9/11 Mr. Arthur’s career began to be modified to develop an Emergency Management Department and Program for the flagship hospital of WellSpan Health in South-Central Pennsylvania.

For the past 10 years he has worked as the Emergency Management Program Manager at Primary Children’s Hospital (PCH), a 289-bed hospital and level I pediatric trauma center. As the Emergency Manager, he is responsible for public health and disaster emergency preparedness and response for the hospital, its affiliated clinics and for the PCH Children’s Health Complex. Kevin is responsible for all emergency management program design and development which includes: plan and procedure development, establishing and maintaining response assets, staff training for response to disaster situations and command cadre education and support.

Julianne Ehlers, MA, CEM, MEP

Julianne Ehlers is the Emergency Management Program Coordinator for Primary Children's Hospital-Miller Campus and Wasatch Canyons Behavioral Health Campus where she supports disaster mitigation, planning, training, and response.  

As an experienced healthcare emergency manager, she has been involved in local, regional, and national emergency management efforts in planning, training/exercises, response, and mitigation for cross-jurisdictional healthcare partners. She was the Program Director for the National EMS Information System, sponsored by NHTSA, leading the program in strategic operations, and facilitating the collection and utilization of national EMS data. Julianne has also served as lead instructor for several healthcare disaster courses at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness.  

She holds a master’s degree in emergency management/Homeland Security from Arizona State University, a bachelor’s degree in emergency services administration, and is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) from the International Association of Emergency Managers.

Hannah Hamilton

Hannah Hamilton is an Emergency Management Program Coordinator for Intermountain Children’s Health serving Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City along with offsite pediatric clinics in northern Utah. She facilitates all aspects of healthcare emergency management for the only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in the state.

She has a bachelor’s in emergency management from the University of Central Florida and experienced the impact of disaster firsthand when Hurricane Sally made landfall in her hometown in 2020.

Hannah began her work with Intermountain Health building the emergency management programs for Layton Hospital and Logan Regional Hospital. She then transitioned to the pediatric world when she accepted the position at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.