At the Safra Children's Hospital at the Sheba Medical Center, a dedicated emergency room was established for babies from birth up to one year of age. This is the first model of its kind in the Israeli healthcare system, born out of a medical and therapeutic concept that views the first year of life as a unique and particularly sensitive period, requiring adaptation not only of the medical care, but also of the treatment environment, work processes, and the patient and family experience.
The new emergency room was built based on the understanding that arriving at an emergency room with a small baby is a complex experience for parents, often accompanied by anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional overload. Accordingly, a dedicated envelope was formulated, tailored to the unique needs of babies in their first year of life and those of their families. The emergency room is staffed by medical and nursing teams who have undergone dedicated training in baby care, while adapting the protocols, treatment environment, and guidance for young families.
The most advanced standards in the world
The new emergency room was designed in accordance with the most advanced standards in the world in pediatrics:
A dedicated admission track for babies: A separate intake and triage process tailored specifically for little ones in their first year of life.
A treatment environment adapted for young families: Dedicated examination rooms, breastfeeding corners, diaper–changing stations, and infrastructure that allows for a comfortable, calm, and adapted stay for babies and their parents.
Dedicated protocols and training: Adapting the work processes, equipment, and treatment to the unique needs of babies, focusing on preventing unnecessary procedures, reducing pain during medical procedures, and minimizing the use of radiation.
Personal guidance for families and a follow–up call: Family companions escort the parents from the moment of arrival until discharge, assisting and supporting throughout the process, and making a phone call a few days after the visit to check on the baby's condition and answer questions; in the event of hospitalization, the guidance continues in the ward as well.
"The first year of life is a particularly sensitive period," explains Dr. Oren Feldman, Director of the Department of Pediatric and Infant Emergency Medicine at the Safra Children's Hospital at Sheba. "Arriving at the emergency room with a small baby is often accompanied by anxiety and a sense of uncertainty, and therefore it was important to us to build a care envelope that understands the unique needs of the entire family, both from a medical and a human perspective. We established a dedicated complex with teams that underwent special training, adapted protocols, and a treatment environment built specifically for babies in their first year of life."