Memorial Hospital participates in a STARS (Special Needs Tracking & Awareness Response System) Program in coordination with Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. The STARS program enables better care of special needs children through 21 years of age should an emergency arise. The purpose of the STARS Program is to create a tracking and awareness system for ambulance districts, fire districts and community hospitals to both recognize the special needs of patients inside their coverage area and have the training to appropriately care for these patients.
Each child that is entered into STARS has a form detaining his or her medical history, medications, allergies, baseline vital signs, baseline neurological status and common medical emergencies. This form is kept in each ambulance and Memorial Hospital Emergency Room Department.
Children who especially benefit are those with:
Significant developmental delay
Seizure disorders
Cardiac history
In-clinic mental health evaluation
Cerebral shunts
Tracheostromies
Autism spectrum disorder
Children with a DNR order
Any atypical disease or syndrome
Please contact Memorial Hospital if you feel your child would be a candidate.
To enroll your child, contact Kim Ruebke, Emergency Room Director, at Memorial Hospital 618-826-4581.