This resident advocacy project, in partnership with the Philadelphia Fire Department, aims to increase comfort and success with pediatric assessment, stabilization and intervention in the field, with the goal of improving patient outcomes for children.

Although pediatric patients represent a relatively small fraction of emergency medical calls/transports, the techniques and tools specific to pediatric resuscitation are instrumental in improving outcomes for children. This collaboration between Philadelphia pediatric providers and pre-hospital professionals (EMTs, paramedics, and fire fighters) is now in its fourth year, and continues to evolve to meet the needs of the EMT/PHP community, as well as to take advantage of the skills and interests of the pediatric providers.

To date, this advocacy project has provided annual sessions combining didactics and case examples with hands-on skill sessions, including a session on child maltreatment. As the project moves forward, the hope is to incorporate more hands-on stations, and potentially to divide sessions by the training level of the participants (for example, by offering a BLS-based and ALS-based session). Not only are residents advocating for some of the most vulnerable of pediatric patients, they are also enhancing their teaching skills in collaboration with non-MD medical professionals.

About Resident Senior Advocacy Projects: At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Community Pediatrics and Advocacy Program (CPAP) integrates an expanded focus on advocacy and community-based pediatrics into pediatric resident training. Senior Advocacy Projects are the capstone of the CPAP curriculum and training.