SUNY Upstate: Operational Update Pediatric Emergency Department - Pediatric Screening

On Monday, January 12th, University Hospital will implement a new screening process for all Pediatric Emergency Department patients & transfers into Golisano Children’s Hospital. This new process will ensure the timely recognition & management of critically ill pediatric patients. A Pediatric Triage Nurse will now be assigned to the ED entrance to assist with screening pediatric patients. All pediatric patients will be screened regardless of their mode of arrival. The Pediatric Screener will be located next to the ambulance & walk-in entrance. This will require the access door to the Ambulance entrance & ED waiting room door to remain open.

All pediatric patients must be screened prior to patients moving to the Pediatric ED on the 4th floor. This screening assessment is for all pediatric encounters, scene calls, and interfacility transfers.

Following their assessment the patient will be placed into one of three categories:

1. Green; Stable: patients in this category will be escorted by ED staff or EMS to the 4th floor

2. Yellow; Concerning: patients in this category will be escorted by a Pediatric nurse to the 4th floor

3. Red; Unstable; patient in this category will be taken directly to a resuscitation bay in the adult ED.

Concerning: high risk or high potential to deteriorate ex: Postictal, well compensated respiratory distress,infants with reported periods of apnea

Unstable: Actively seizing, ∆ mental state, airway compromise, signs of hypoperfusion, anaphylaxis, hypoglycemia, signs of hypoxia, loss of muscle tone (limp), in need of resuscitation or meets ACS trauma triage criteria.

We anticipate this going live @ 11:00 AM Monday, February 12, 2026.