New pediatric unit to help Davis County families stay close to home

LAYTON — Many kids in Davis County have had to be sent to hospitals in neighboring counties to get specialized pediatric care. Now, a new pediatric unit at the Holy Cross Hospital in Layton is the first of its kind in the county.

Wednesday will be the ribbon-cutting for the eight-bed unit with patient rooms designed with kids in mind. Each room features a kid-sized bed, and calming, cheerful artwork is hung inside the hospital at 1600 North Antelope Drive.

"We've had to transfer quite a few of those kiddos to Primary Children's because there aren't a lot of beds up in this part of the state for (pediatric) patients," said Ashlyn Hall, chief nursing officer at Davis' Holy Cross Hospital. "Really, our goal is to try and keep kids here in the community. Especially those that are just going to be in the hospital for a day or two and they can stay closer to their families."

The pediatric unit was built upon remnants from its past unit, which hasn't been used at all since the COVID-19 pandemic. That past unit was not run full time and it was often staffed with nurses from the hospital's surgical space.

Presently, the hospital has been able to refresh the unused pediatric unit and open a new unit completely focused on pediatrics for the first time under the direction of CommonSpirit Health.

The hospital also applied for the Utah Emergency Medical Services for Children program and was granted the pediatric readiness certification, which pushes the hospital to remain prepared to care for kids who visit the emergency room, according to Hall.

The new unit gives kids a chance to stay within their community, rather than having to be immediately admitted to hospitals like Intermountain Health Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.

The pediatric unit in Layton is staffed around the clock with pediatric hospitalists, Dr. Ryan Ericksen and Dr. Adam Farmer, along with pediatric-trained nurses. Hall believes the new unit is a very timely addition to the area.

"Between the growth at Hill Air Force Base — the communities on the west side of I-15 — it's growing like crazy. And so I think it's huge," Hall said. "There's lots of young families moving into the area. Especially moving into this type of season. Kiddos are sick right now."

In addition to the pediatric unit, Holy Cross Hospital's Layton location is the only level three NICU in Davis County, which means the hospital is able to care for premature babies born at about 24 weeks gestation.

Related topics