When Your Child Is Hurt, Readiness Matters

When one of my daughters was three years old, she burned her hand on a hot grill during a family gathering in Maine.

Fifteen years later, my wife still reminds me that I was supposed to be watching her. For the record, I maintain that she had just left to take a shower and that responsibility had not been formally transferred.

We still debate that part.

What I remember most is the scream—and the fear that followed.

We were far from home, far from familiar hospitals, and suddenly faced with decisions every parent dreads. How serious was it? Where should we go? Who was best equipped to care for a child?

Even as a physician, I wasn't thinking like a doctor. I was thinking like a dad.

When your child is hurt or sick, you want the right care—and you want it quickly. You want a team that knows how to care for children, communicate with them, calm them, and support the family standing beside them.

That's why pediatric readiness matters.

Children are not simply small adults. They require specialized expertise, equipment, medications, and environments designed specifically for them and their families.

At GBMC, that readiness is reflected in our pediatric emergency readiness score of 98 out of 100, a nationally recognized measure of a hospital's ability to care for children in an emergency.

We are fortunate to offer something incredibly important for families in our community: the best of both worlds. We are a community hospital close to home, but we also provide dedicated pediatric emergency and inpatient care. Families do not have to choose between convenience and pediatric expertise.

For parents, the question is simple:

Will they be ready for my child?

Increasingly, families in our community are turning to GBMC for that care. ED volumes and patient numbers have continued to rise each year, reaching an all-time high of 12,668 visits in fiscal year 2025. At the same time, pediatric services have been reduced or eliminated at some hospitals in our region. More families are depending on us during some of the most stressful moments of their lives.

This is not a future need. It is already here.

And we need to be ready.

That is why our pediatric expansion is so important.

We recently announced a $6 million anonymous gift toward the first phase of a larger $20 million renovation and expansion of our pediatric emergency and inpatient spaces, including resources to support children with behavioral health needs.

This is not about building something because it would be nice to have. It is about responding to a growing need in our community. More children and families are turning to GBMC for care, and we must ensure we have the space, technology, and resources to meet that need.

I am deeply grateful to the anonymous donor who helped launch this effort. Their generosity reflects a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves exceptional pediatric care close to home.

My hope is that others who believe in that same promise will help us bring this full vision to life.

GBMC is the only hospital in Baltimore County with both a pediatric emergency department and pediatric inpatient care. That comes with responsibility. Families count on us to be ready, and this project will help ensure we are.

But readiness is about much more than buildings.

It is about people.

Every day, our pediatric teams, emergency medicine teams, nurses, advanced practice providers, child life specialists, therapists, technicians, and support staff provide extraordinary care to children and families during some of their most frightening moments. This expansion will give those teams the resources and environment they deserve.

When I think back to that day in Maine, what stands out is not the debate about whose fault it was.

It is the overwhelming relief of knowing that our daughter was in capable hands.

Every parent deserves that feeling.

You should not have to wonder whether your community hospital is prepared when your child needs help.

As a parent, I know how much that question matters.

As CEO, I am grateful for the people—and the community support—that make the answer possible every day.

At GBMC, our answer is yes.

Employee Spotlight

Laura Becker, CRNP

Infectious Disease Nurse Practitioner

GBMC Health Partners

How long have you been at GBMC HealthCare?

15 months

What is one key way you support a zero harm/safety culture?

I collaborate with my team members and my patients to make sure they understand and feel comfortable with administering IV antibiotics at home.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Helping patients heal from their infections.

What's your favorite food?

Tacos!