Emergency Pediatric Care
Penn Emergency Room Pediatric ER
Penn Highlands offers emergency pediatric care at all of our Penn emergency rooms across central Pennsylvania. We take the time to provide personalized care to children of all ages, from infants to adolescents. Our new Penn emergency room at Penn Highlands DuBois offers specialized equipment and private rooms for pediatric emergency care. When necessary, all of our Penn emergency room teams are skilled at stabilizing and transporting pediatric patients to the nearest children’s hospital for specialized treatment.
What is a Pediatric Emergency?
A pediatric emergency is any injury or illness that could threaten the life of an infant, child, or adolescent. Pediatric emergencies can include physical or psychological symptoms. Suspected poisoning, breathing issues, loss of consciousness, severe cuts or bone breaks, uncontrollable bleeding, head trauma, burns, or acting out of the normal can all be considered a pediatric emergency. When looking for a Penn emergency room or pediatric ER, it’s best to get to the closest emergency room whenever possible. Penn Highlands Healthcare offers a pediatric ER at all of our hospitals throughout central Pennsylvania.
How Long is the Wait Time at a Pediatric ER?
Wait times for a pediatric ER always depends on how many patients are currently needing care at any given time. At all Penn Highlands emergency facilities, we aim to provide pediatric emergency care as promptly as possible.
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Connellsville
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Medicine
Huntingdon Emergency Group PC
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - Brookville
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Connellsville
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Connellsville
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Hospital Medicine
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Penn Highlands Mon Valley
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Connellsville
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Brookville
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Brookville
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - Brookville
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Connellsville
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Department - Brookville
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Brookville
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Connellsville
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Connellsville
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Connellsville
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Hospital Medicine
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Penn Highlands Mon Valley
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Hospital Medicine
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Penn Highlands Mon Valley
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Connellsville
Emergency Department - Mon Valley
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Urgent Care
QCare Huntingdon
A Service of Penn Highlands Huntingdon
Huntingdon Emergency Group PC
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Department - Brookville
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Tyrone
Emergency Department - Brookville
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Elk
Emergency Department and Trauma Center- DuBois
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - State College
Emergency Department - Brookville
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Emergency Medicine
Emergency Department - Huntingdon
Emergency Department - Clearfield
Where can I Find a Children’s ER Near Me?
If your child is experiencing a pediatric emergency, please call 911 immediately or get your child to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible. Our Penn Highlands hospitals across central Pennsylvania provide emergency pediatric care for infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents, regardless of age or their families’ ability to pay.
When looking for a children’s ER or pediatric ER, most Penn emergency rooms are equipped to provide emergency pediatric care. If you have time to consider your options, look for a pediatric ER that is conveniently located to where you are. For patients in central Pennsylvania, Penn Highlands offers emergency pediatric care at all of our Penn emergency room locations.
Located on the first floor of Penn Highlands State College, the Emergency Department offers 24-hour emergency care to patients suffering from serious illnesses or injuries.
Pediatric Triage Guide: ER or QCare in Pennsylvania?
Not sure where to take your child? Start with the red flags below — they mean the ER, every time. If none apply, use the age-based guide to help you decide between the ER and a QCare Walk-In Clinic.
Always Go to the ER (Any Age)
- Trouble breathing, choking, or turning blue
- Loss of consciousness or unresponsiveness
- Uncontrolled or heavy bleeding
- A head injury with confusion, vomiting, or unusual drowsiness
- Suspected poisoning or swallowing a harmful object or substance
- Severe burns
- A seizure
- A broken bone with visible deformity
- Acting unusually confused, limp, or “not themselves”
Infants (Under 12 Months)
Go to the ER for fever, persistent vomiting or diarrhea, signs of dehydration (no wet diaper in 6+ hours, no tears when crying), unusual fussiness or lethargy, or any red-flag symptom.
QCare Walk-In Clinics see children age 1 and up, so infants under 12 months should always go to the ER rather than a walk-in clinic for anything beyond a routine pediatrician visit.
Toddlers & Preschoolers (1–5 Years)
Go to the ER for a high fever in a child who seems very ill, persistent vomiting, signs of dehydration, or any red-flag symptom.
QCare is appropriate for minor cuts and scrapes, mild fevers in a child who’s still eating, drinking, and playing, ear infections, and minor rashes.
School-Age Children (6–12 Years)
Go to the ER for a suspected broken bone with visible deformity, a head injury from a fall or sports collision, a high fever with a stiff neck or rash, or any red-flag symptom.
QCare is appropriate for sprains, minor sports injuries, stomach bugs without dehydration, and strep throat symptoms.
Teens (13–17 Years)
Go to the ER for chest pain, difficulty breathing, a severe allergic reaction, or a mental health crisis where your teen may be in danger.
QCare is appropriate for sports physicals, minor injuries, and common illnesses.
What is a Pediatric Walk-in Care Clinic?
All of our Penn Highlands QCare Walk-In Care clinics treat pediatric patients age one and up can be seen for minor injuries and illnesses.. Our QCare Clinics offer a range of pediatric services including sports physicals. For pediatric emergencies, our Penn emergency rooms offer pediatric emergency care.Children under the age of one should be taken to the emergency room.
What if My Child Needs to be Admitted to the Hospital?
All Penn Highlands Healthcare hospitals are able to provide inpatient care for pediatric patients. Penn Highlands DuBois has a designated Pediatric Unit offering 24-hour medical care to children and their families. This pediatric unit is specifically designed for children of all ages to offer comfort and care tailored to their unique needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pediatric Emergency Services
If your child needs medical care that isn’t an emergency, Penn Highlands Healthcare offers walk-in care clinics and family medicine clinics throughout Pennsylvania. Our Family Medicine clinics often can provide same-day appointments. Primary care physicians at our Family Medicine clinics are skilled at diagnosing and treating a range of pediatric illnesses and injuries, from the common cold to rashes and minor injuries.
For after-hours care that doesn’t warrant a pediatric emergency, our QCare Walk-In Care clinics offer care with no appointment necessary.
When possible or when it’s not an obvious pediatric emergency, you should call your child’s pediatrician or primary care provider to discuss your child’s symptoms and next steps. If your child does not have a primary care provider or pediatrician, you should take your child to a family medicine clinic for minor injuries, routine illnesses, colds, minor fevers, and non-life threatening concerns. You should take your child to a pediatric ER whenever trauma, poisoning, burns, deep cuts, loss of consciousness, uncontrollable bleeding, airway issues, choking, or severe and persistent pain occur.
If you or a loved one is in a crisis situation, call 9-1-1 or go to your closest emergency department. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available for anyone needing mental health support. They offer options for calling, texting, or chatting.
The difference between inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment at Penn Highlands is that inpatient services are for patients who are experiencing or recovering from a mental health crisis and could benefit from more intensive, daily treatment by staying at one of our inpatient locations. Our adult and child/adolescent inpatient units operate 24/7 and provide daily, multidisciplinary care that addresses mental and physical health conditions. Our outpatient services provide assessment, counseling and therapies, including Medication Assisted Treatment (Suboxone, Zubsolv and FDA-approved alcohol medications) for substance abuse disorder recovery. Penn Highlands outpatient mental health services are offered at multiple locations throughout Northwestern/Central and Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Yes, Penn Highlands offers telehealth and online therapy appointments. You can schedule an appointment through our Outpatient Behavioral Health Services by calling 814-375-6379. A video link will be sent at the time of your appointment, and you simply join the video via the link.
