As the stewards of care for hospitalized children, our faculty and staff believe there is nothing more important than the health and well-being of our patients. We are dedicated to making the inpatient environment safe and strive to consistently meet and exceed national standards for clinical care, patient safety, outstanding service and patient satisfaction. By pursuing the newest and best technologies, hiring and retaining a highly skilled staff and promoting a culture of safety and excellence, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital has forged an impressive quality record.

With more than 4.6 million children suffering from pediatric asthma, this prevalent chronic illness is the leading cause of emergency department visits, missed school days and healthcare expenditures, making it a significant public health concern. At UF Health, we take a multidisciplinary approach in caring for patients with asthma. The pediatric asthma center for excellence, or PACE group includes representatives from pediatric emergency room, pediatric hospitalist team, pulmonary specialties, nursing and respiratory specialties. Learn how our work in fostering teamwork between families and providers, the implementation our bedside asthma action plan have decreased our patient’s length of stay.

In 2019, we piloted a new assessment and care tool called, Eat, Sleep, and Console, or ESC, to improve management and outcomes for infants by optimizing non-pharmacological interventions for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, or NOWS. Our results have demonstrated several positive outcomes including a decrease in infant length of stay and hospital costs, an increase in referrals to community-based services and an increase in referrals to services for unmet needs of birth parents with opioid use disorder.