UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s awarded federal funding to protect children in disasters across the Midwest

CLEVELAND – Region V for Kids (RV4K), led by University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, has received $1.2 million from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The award continues RV4K’s role as one of four regional Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence (PDCOE) in the nation. The current funding covers one year, with potential for up to $6 million over the next five years.

“We are proud to continue leading this effort right here in Cleveland as one of only four Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence in the country,” said Charles G. Macias, MD, MPH, division chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and chief quality officer at UH Rainbow. “In addition to supporting Region V for Kids, Rainbow recently received a historic award to lead the new Pediatric Prevention Network, a large federal investment to strengthen our nation’s ability to protect children before, during and after disasters.” Formerly the Pediatric Pandemic Network, the new PPN will serve as a national resource for pediatric preparedness, prevention, response, recovery, and resilience.

Children make up nearly a quarter of the U.S. population, yet emergency plans are often built around adults, with children treated as an afterthought. RV4K was created to change that. Since 2019, the center has worked to close that gap for nearly 12 million children in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

“We face threats from disasters every day, which is why it is so important for hospitals, healthcare infrastructures, and government and private entities to work together on a coordinated emergency response model,” said Deanna Dahl-Grove, MD, FAAP, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at UH Rainbow and co-principal investigator of the grant along with Dr. Macias.

Children have unique medical, developmental and emotional needs. RV4K trains health care professionals, supports families, and coordinates with hospitals, healthcare coalitions and caregivers at the local, state, regional and tribal levels. Its work spans the full disaster cycle: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

RV4K’s nine partner hospitals have 3,115 pediatric beds and handle 630,000 emergency visits each year:

• University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital (lead)
• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
• Nationwide Children’s Hospital
• C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, University of Michigan
• Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
• Riley Hospital for Children
• Children’s Wisconsin
• Children’s Minnesota

Mayo Clinic and Children’s Hospital of Michigan are collaborating hospitals. The consortium also includes 49 healthcare coalitions, EMS agencies, public health departments, emergency managers, state health and emergency management departments, state Emergency Medical Services for Children partners, and the Children’s Hospital Association.

With this funding, Region V for Kids will continue to:

• Train clinicians, first responders, and hospital staff to recognize and treat critically ill and injured children
• Help community and rural hospitals get ready for pediatric patients through tools, exercises, and subject matter expertise.
• Provide support and education for regional response during pediatric surges, mass-casualty incidents, and other emergencies
• Provide resources to families, including children with special healthcare needs, before, during, and after disasters
• Share best practices in pediatric disaster care

Region V for Kids is part of a national network of ASPR-funded Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence. It works alongside the Western Regional Alliance for Pediatric Emergency Management (WRAP-EM), the Gulf 7 Pediatric Disaster Network (G7), and MAPLE (Multi-Hazard Atlantic Pediatric Logistics and Emergency Management). Together, the centers share expertise, resources, and lessons learned to strengthen regional pediatric disaster preparedness and response.

To learn more about Region V for Kids, subscribe for updates, or access pediatric disaster preparedness resources, visit www.regionvforkids.org.