ST. GEORGE — Parents or soon-to-be parents will no longer have to worry about traveling back and forth for their child’s care thanks to the new pediatrics wing at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George.
Located on the fourth floor of the east tower and set to open in early June, the new wing is next to the emergency department and equipped with features to provide more family-centered care, said Jason MacPherson, nurse manager of pediatrics.
Southern Utah residents were able to explore the new wing and learn more about the services provided during an open house Wednesday afternoon.
The new wing will feature the same pediatric services as the 400 East campus but in a more streamlined manner, MacPherson said. If a child comes to the emergency room and needs to stay the night in the hospital, he or she would currently have to be transported to the 400 East campus.
“Now that will be eliminated and they will be able to directly be wheeled down the hallway and take an elevator ride and be on pediatrics within a minute,” MacPherson said.
Another improvement with the new wing is having access to pediatric operating rooms. With the 400 East campus, if a child needs an operation, he or she would have to be transported to DRMC and then back to the 400 East campus to stay the night.
The new wing is designed to accommodate children and their families, MacPherson said, so it has a playroom and a family room.
“There is a playroom where children can take a break and help them cope from their stress from being in a hospital,” he said. “It’s filled with toys, and it’s an area where they don’t have to worry about any procedures or doctors or nurses doing anything to them.”
With the family room, MacPherson said it can be used for celebrations such as birthdays or as a space where parents can relax.
For McKenzie Reber, a pediatric charge nurse at the hospital, getting to work with and know more about the rest of the staff from the River Road campus will be beneficial.
“Right now we do a lot of phone calls with them, but we’re excited to get to know them and their faces,” Reber said.
Community members toured the rooms in the pediatric unit, such as the playroom, treatment room, family room and outpatient area. Children were able to pet therapy dogs and go on a scavenger hunt to learn more about the new wing.
For more information on pediatric services, visit Intermountain Healthcare’s website.
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