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Imran Juma was running errands during a sunny afternoon in December when he received a call from his two-year-old son Hugo鈥檚 daycare noting there had been an incident.
鈥淭hey said he hit his head on the corner of the bookshelf,鈥� the father-of-two remembers. 鈥淭hey said he was doing okay, but there was some blood and he was probably going to need stitches.鈥�
Imran promptly picked up Hugo and at the instruction of his wife 鈥� who had heard about Michael 九游体育鈥檚 (MGH) recently opened Child and Youth Emergency Zone 鈥� brought him to the hospital, which is a short drive from the family鈥檚 home near Danforth and Greenwood.
Imran had filled a backpack with one of Hugo鈥檚 teddies, a tablet and some food and games to keep the toddler occupied. But he was relieved to find the comfort items weren鈥檛 needed.
Imran notes they waited less than 30 minutes before being seen by a doctor in the Child and Youth Emergency Zone.
He says there were also plenty of positive distractions available in the space鈥檚 waiting area, including books, puzzles, a gaming system and a number of Paw Patrol-themed pictures and activities, which Hugo was especially fond of.
This family-friendly environment is especially helpful during times when the Child and Youth Emergency Zone 鈥� and MGH鈥檚 main Stavro Emergency Department (ED) 鈥� are experiencing an increase in patient volumes.
鈥淵ou can tell the space is designed specifically for children. That kept Hugo very entertained while we were waiting,鈥� Imran says.
鈥淎nd because this is a dedicated space for children and youth, he wasn鈥檛 exposed to other potentially traumatic things that you might expect to see in a hospital emergency department.鈥�
鈥淲hen I got there, I was scared,鈥� Hugo says, sitting next to his father in their living room and speaking through Zoom. 鈥淏ut the people were nice and it didn鈥檛 hurt.鈥�
Imran says the attention to patient- and family-centred care in the Child and Youth Emergency Zone continued when Hugo was met with a Child Life Specialist.
鈥淪he introduced herself to Hugo and made it a point to get down to his height to speak to him and let him know what the process was going to be,鈥� he says.
鈥淚f she noticed him tensing up, she would take a step back and let him relax. Before the doctor came, she also gave him a paint-with-water colouring book, which was really comforting for him. So he was able to sit and do that as we waited for the doctor.鈥�
Morgan Livingstone, the Child Life Specialist at MGH who interacted with Hugo that day, says her role in the Child and Youth Emergency Zone involves working with children and youth to determine what they need to cope best 鈥� whether that be art, toys or simply explaining to them a medical procedure.
鈥淥n what could be the worst day of a kid鈥檚 life, Child Life Specialists want to be the best part of it,鈥� Morgan says. 鈥淲e offer support to children so they can be kids and feel successful in this space.鈥�
Imran says he was also impressed by the 鈥渧alidation鈥� that Hugo received from staff for his 鈥渂ravery and strength鈥�.
鈥淎s we were leaving, everyone was waving and being really kind and acknowledging him,鈥� Imran recalls. 鈥淚t felt like everyone we interacted with 鈥� from the screeners to the doctors and nurses and all the other staff 鈥� really seemed to care.鈥�
鈥淚 was really happy,鈥� Hugo says.
Hugo鈥檚 sentiments are shared by eight-year-old Colby, who visited the Child and Youth Emergency Zone with her mom in November.
At around 11 p.m. the night before, Colby and her mom, Kirsten Jones, drove to MGH鈥檚 main ED from their home in the Beaches because Colby was experiencing intense stomach pains.
At that time, the Child and Youth Emergency Zone had closed for the evening.
When staff in the main ED informed Colby and Kirsten that they would need to return the next day to pick up test results, they were reluctant.
However, when they arrived the next morning, they were pleased to see the Child and Youth Emergency Zone was open.
鈥淭he difference was night and day,鈥� Kirsten says. 鈥淎s nice as the doctors and nurses are in the main emergency area, it can be a scary place for kids. So being able to come to the Child and Youth Emergency Zone the next day was the perfect antidote.鈥�
Eight months later, Kirsten says Colby still talks about her experience in the Child and Youth Emergency Zone.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 tell you how valuable that was 鈥� it made a world of difference to my daughter in regards to changing her view of what hospital experiences can be like,鈥� Kirsten adds.
Dr. Ruchi Mohindra is an emergency physician at MGH who was involved in the development of the Child and Youth Emergency Zone.
She is also a Physician Champion, which means she is part of a partnership which focuses on improving the delivery of evidence-based, high-quality care.
鈥淚t was important for us to create a space for urgent paediatric care that is safe, welcoming and accessible, and caters to the unique needs of children, youth and families in East Toronto,鈥� Dr. Mohindra says.
鈥淭his builds on Michael 九游体育鈥檚 commitment to providing high-quality, family- and patient-centered paediatric care. It also gives us the opportunity to help ensure children and youth have positive experiences in the healthcare system early on, so they are not afraid to find and get care in the future.鈥�
In addition to improving patient experiences, Dr. Mohindra says the Child and Youth Emergency Zone has enhanced the experiences of healthcare providers in the space.
Staff in the MGH ED are able to work more closely with children, youth and families and engage in learning opportunities related to providing paediatric care.
She says the feedback from both patients and staff has been 鈥渋ncredibly heartwarming鈥�.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exactly what we were hoping that local families 鈥� and our team 鈥� would want and feel,鈥� Dr. Mohindra says. 鈥淚t makes me so happy to know we are making a difference.鈥�
Kirsten says she would return to the MGH Child and Youth Emergency Zone 鈥渋n a second鈥� if Colby needed urgent care.
鈥淭he experience made me wonder why this space doesn鈥檛 exist at all hospitals,鈥� she says.
Imran says he would also feel confident returning to the space if there was ever another emergency in his family.
In fact, the Juma family did just that this past March when Hugo had a foreign object stuck in his nose.
Imran says Hugo had such a positive experience that time around that 鈥渉e was crying and saying he didn鈥檛 want to leave.鈥�
鈥淭here are loads of kids in our neighbourhood. Day to day, you don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 going to happen,鈥� Imran adds.
鈥淪o knowing there鈥檚 a hospital so close by with a dedicated emergency space for children is really comforting.鈥�