Using Simulation to Model Improvements in Pediatric Bed Placement in an Acute Care Hospital.

Objective: The objective of this project was to use an interdisciplinary approach to analyze strategies through simulation technology for improving patient flow in a pediatric hospital.

Background: Various statistics have been offered on the number of children admitted annually to hospitals. For administrators, particularly in smaller systems, the financial burden of equipping and staffing pediatric units often outweighs the moral desire to maintain a pediatric unit as a viable option for patients and pediatricians.