// Pediatric Care Medical Specialist Team

Please indicate you are applying for the PCMS team when submitting your initial application to the IMERT office.  All Specialty Team members must fulfill the General Team training requirements in addition to any required training for Specialty Team membership.

Pediatric Care Medical Specialist Team

The Pediatric Care Medical Specialist (PCMS) Team is a specialty team within IMERT comprised of volunteer pediatric physicians and pediatric advanced practice nurses. Volunteers on this team are responsible for providing pediatric subject matter expertise/guidance to physicians and nurses throughout the state of Illinois as requested when the IDPH ESF-8 Plan: Pediatric and Neonatal Surge Annex is either partially or fully activated. This team deploys remotely and does not physically deploy to the disaster site.

The Pediatric Care Medical Specialist Team is open to pediatric specialists with either a physician or advanced practice nursing license.

Team Positions & Descriptions

Pediatric Care Medical Specialist Team Physicians

Description:

The IMERT Physician within the Pediatric Care Medical Specialist (PCMS) Team is responsible for providing remote/virtual guidance and coordinating care for pediatric and neonatal patients during a multiregional or state wide disaster in which the IDPH ESF-8 Plan: Pediatric & Neonatal Surge Annex has been activated and deployment of the Pediatric Care Medical Specialist (PCMS) Team has been requested.

Requirements:

  1. Complete required application and initial training as indicated for all IMERT volunteers
  2. Completion of all IMERT prerequisites and training requirements.
  3. Physician with an unencumbered Illinois License
  4. Minimum 2 years experience as a physician in a pediatric specialty area

Description of Duties:

  1. Evaluate, prioritize and triage pediatric patients to tertiary care centers.
  2. Provide guidance in determining the most appropriate hospital for pediatric patients
  3. Assist with coordination of transfer of pediatric patients between hospitals
  4. Provide guidance to hospitals and health care providers during the system decompression process
  5. Provide medical consultation/telemedicine assistance to community hospitals to aid in the care of pediatric patients until those patients are able to be transferred to a pediatric and/or neonatal specialty care center or other hospital with higher level pediatric/neonatal care
  6. Provide guidance to the PCMS Advance Practice Nurses, as applicable
  7. Attend required briefings during shift
  8. Document all communications with hospitals on the correct documentation
  9. Document pertinent information in the Pediatric Patient Tracking Log and other forms as outlined in the IDPH ESF-8 Plan: Pediatric and Neonatal Surge Annex
  10. Attend all required briefings and participate in the After Action report

 

Pediatric Care Medical Specialist Team Advanced Practice Nurses

Description:

The IMERT Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) within the Pediatric Care Medical Specialist (PCMS) Team is responsible for providing remote/virtual guidance on nursing care for pediatric and neonatal patients during a multiregional or state wide disaster in which the IDPH ESF-8 Plan: Pediatric & Neonatal Surge Annex has been activated and deployment of the PCMS Team has been requested.

Requirements:

  1. Complete required application and initial training as indicated for all IMERT volunteers
  2. Completion of all IMERT prerequisites and training requirements.
  3. Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) with certification in Pediatric or Pediatric Critical Care; have an unencumbered Illinois License
  4. Minimum 2 years of experience as an APN in a pediatric specialty area

Description of Duties:

  1. Provide nursing consultation/telemedicine assistance to community hospitals to aid in the care of pediatric and neonatal patients until those patients are able to be transferred to a pediatric and/or neonatal specialty care centers or other hospital with higher level pediatric/neonatal care.
  2. Provide assistance and expertise to PCMS Physicians during triaging and system decompression process
  3. Attend required briefings during shift
  4. Document all communications with hospitals on the appropriate forms
  5. Document pertinent information in the Pediatric Patient Tracking Log and other forms as outlined in the IDPH ESF-8 Plan: Pediatric and Neonatal Surge Annex
  6. Attend all required briefings and participate in the After Action report