Three rooms in the emergency department at Houston Northwest Medical Center were recently updated to be more nurturing and less frightening for children than a typical adult patient room. Decorations feature a palette of kid-friendly colors painted with fun designs on the walls that look like gum balls. Wall games were installed that allow children to move squiggle bars, spin wheels and slide objects all around.

“There are certain things that parents keep in mind when designing their child’s room—make it comfortable, make it fun, and make it a place where the child feels safe,” says Javier Deloza, RN, critical care nursing director at Houston Northwest Medical Center. “So that’s how three rooms in the Fast Track area of our emergency department were recently decorated.”
 
The Fast Track Unit is designed to care for patients whose complaints are less urgent or life threatening, such as cuts that require stitches, sprains, sore throats and other minor illnesses. The unit is open seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. and is staffed by a team of medical professionals who are experienced in caring for children.

The Fast Track Unit is part of the hospital’s emergency department that is designated a Level III advanced trauma facility by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The 49-bed emergency department is equipped with two trauma rooms and 47 private treatment rooms to provide quality care for all patients, including heart attacks and strokes. For more information about emergency services available at Houston Northwest Medical Center, visit www.hnmc.com/EmergencyDepartment and check out our ER Wait Time online at www.hnmc.com/ERWaitTime.