KCH Sedation and Procedure Unit Redesignated as a Center of Excellence
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 11, 2022) — The Children’s Sedation and Procedure Unit (CSPU) at Kentucky Children’s Hospital (KCH) was redesignated as a center of excellence by the Society for Pediatric Sedation. KCH is only one of four institutions in the world to receive this designation twice.
“We are extremely proud of our team of nurses, child life specialists and sedation providers in the CSPU,” said Cheri D. Landers, M.D., medical director of the CSPU. “Their ongoing dedication to our patients and their safety during procedural sedation is what has made this renewal of our Center of Excellence designation possible.”
The CSPU was scored on several metrics, including safety protocols, safety outcomes, staff and provider efficiency, timeliness and efficacy protocols and outcomes and how equitable sedation services are for patients and their families. This information is submitted to the Society for Pediatric Sedation Quality and Safety Committee where it is reviewed and scored based on a predetermined rubric. Applications must get an average of 80% from the reviewers to be designated a Center of Excellence in Pediatric Sedation. The CSPU at Kentucky Children’s scored 88%.
In the CSPU, pediatric patients are prepared for outpatient procedures that require them to be perfectly still such as MRI or CT scans, or procedures that may be uncomfortable or painful such as spinal taps or biopsies. Child life specialists prepare children at a developmentally appropriate level for what they will experience, while specially trained nurses and physician providers provide sedation and pain control under carefully monitored conditions throughout the procedure and recovery period.
The CSPU opened in May 2018 and includes 12 private patient rooms with televisions, toys and games, two specialized procedure rooms, an area for lab draws and a dedicated Child Life specialist who not only provides patient education but comfort and distraction during procedures.
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