HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Northeast Georgia Health System said it has become the first health system in Georgia to have all of its hospitals receive the Pediatric Readiness Designation from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
This designation is awarded to emergency departments that are equipped with child-specific medical supplies and staffed by professionals trained in pediatric care, ensuring high-quality emergency services for children across northeast Georgia.
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“Emergency care for children isn’t just about having the right equipment — it’s about having the right people,” Hersh Mathur, MD, medical director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine for NGHS, said in a statement.
The emergency departments at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Lumpkin and NGMC Habersham are the latest hospitals to receive the Pediatric Readiness Designation from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
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“These designations reflect our commitment to delivering consistent, high-quality care for children across every community we serve,” Walt Wiley, executive director for Emergency, Trauma, Observation and EMS Services at NGMC, said.
They join NGHS’ three other hospitals – NGMC Gainesville, NGMC Braselton, and NGMC Barrow – which received the designation earlier this year.
NGMC Lumpkin, which opened in April 2024, and NGMC Habersham, which joined NGHS in July 2023, are designated as Level III Pediatric Readiness Centers.
This means their emergency departments are prepared to evaluate, stabilize, and transfer critically ill children.
NGMC Gainesville is designated as a Level II Pediatric Readiness Center, which means it is prepared to evaluate, stabilize, and provide some ongoing care for critically ill children.
In addition to its pediatric-ready emergency department, NGMC Gainesville offers a dedicated inpatient pediatric unit for children who require further observation or hospitalization. NGHS ensures seamless transport and coordination between facilities, so families experience uninterrupted care and peace of mind.
“Our inpatient pediatric unit is designed to provide a comforting, child-focused environment where families can feel supported during what is often a stressful time,” Ramanpreet Dhindsa, MD, medical director of Pediatrics at NGMC and a pediatrician with Longstreet Clinic, said.
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