Children’s hospital receives national recognition for quality in pediatric sedation

When a child needs sedation as part of medical treatment, it can be scary for the child and stressful for parents. Atrium Health Levine Children’s Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital has been designated as a Center of Excellence in Pediatric Sedation by the Society for Pediatric Sedation (SPS), offering parents and guardians peace of mind that children are receiving the best, high-quality care.


The SPS is an organization dedicated to promoting safe, high quality pediatric procedural sedation that also provides resources to help providers continually improve their practices. It also gathers information from participating pediatric hospitals and recognizes institutions that are striving for excellence. The designation will last four years.


“When a child is sick or injured, it’s invaluable for a parent to have peace of mind afforded by knowing there’s a team that specializes in providing pediatric treatment caring for their child,” said Atrium Health Georgia Market President Delvecchio Finley. “Atrium Health Levine Children’s Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital is proud to be central and south Georgia’s dedicated children’s hospital, providing care 24 hours a day, whenever we’re needed. We are thankful to the Society for Pediatric Sedation for recognizing our facility’s continual striving for excellence.”


Sedation is used to induce a relaxed state when a child needs to undergo a minor, less invasive surgical procedure. Anesthesia is used to render a patient unconscious and unresponsive. While under sedation, a child may still be partially aware of what’s happening around them. They may feel drowsy, but can usually respond to verbal commands. Sedation may be given through an IV or inhaled through the mouth or nose.


“Our team of medical professionals are specially trained and committed to making the experience as comforting and easy as possible,” said Diana Sutton, chief nursing officer for Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital. “Child life specialists help minimize stress and anxiety for our patients, providing emotional support and developmentally appropriate strategies to assist children in coping with unfamiliar medical treatments and experiences.”


As the only dedicated pediatric facility in central and south Georgia, and one of the most comprehensive in the state, Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital has the only 24/7 pediatric emergency room in the area. In addition to providing care in general pediatrics, pediatric critical care, neonatal intensive care and outpatient services, the hospital also serves as the primary teaching site for Mercer University School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.

For more information about services for children, or for help finding a doctor, visit childrenshospitalnh.org.