Emergency Medicine

Emergency Department

When your child is facing a medical emergency, there's no substitute for a specialty children’s hospital. Young patients require distinct tests and equipment for their small bodies. Kids are at greater risk for serious breathing problems, less tolerant of blood loss, and more vulnerable to head injury than adults are – and the younger the child, the smaller the margin for error.

That's where UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals makes all the difference. The pediatric Emergency Departments at our San Francisco and Oakland locations are focused exclusively on kids, with a staff of doctors and nurses trained in pediatric emergency medicine who are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our patients also have access to a full-service suite of care with more than 150 top-ranked pediatric specialists. Critical medical and surgical divisions are on call at all times for the more intensive care.

Our Oakland ED is certified as a level 1 trauma center by the American College of Surgeons and is the only state-designated Pediatric Critical Care Center in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. This distinction marks us as a center of excellence in all areas of pediatric care, from emergency care and intensive care through rehabilitation services.

Our Oakland location also has a special five-bed asthma care unit for patients to receive asthma treatment and education. For all these reasons and more, we're the leading pediatric emergency service provider in Northern California.

NOTE: If you think your child may be experiencing a life-threatening or severe condition, immediately call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room.

Our locations (2)

    San Francisco, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Oakland, Redwood City

    Urgent Care Clinic

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    Oakland

    Trauma Care Center

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    Our team

    Awards & recognition

    • Ranked among the nation's best in 11 specialties

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    Support services

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    Child Life Services

    Activity rooms, pet therapy and more to help kids feel at home.

    Child Life

    Certified child life specialists ease the stress and anxiety of childhood illness through therapeutic play, schooling and family-focused support.

    Family Amenities

    Family-friendly amenities help you relax and take care of yourself while staying close to your child. We offer lounges, kitchens, showers, breastfeeding rooms and more.

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    Social Services

    Social workers ease the effect of illness, injury and hospitalization on your family with counseling and assistance to help you navigate the challenges.

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    Activity Rooms

    Activity rooms offer a relaxed environment for children of all ages. Features include a playroom, digital arts studio and teen lounge. Find out more.

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    Art Therapy

    Art therapy helps kids and families express themselves, making it easier to cope with pediatric health issues. Group and bedside services are available.

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    Music Therapy Program

    Board-certified music therapists help kids cope with illness and the feelings that come with it. Find out about group activities and bedside therapy.

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    School Program

    Our schoolroom services and individual learning programs help children hospitalized at UCSF continue their education and get ready to return to school.

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    School Re-Entry Program

    We help kids return to school after hospitalization by educating staff and students about their needs and recommending needed accommodations. Read more.

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    Individual Playtime & Instruction

    If your child can't be around other kids for medical reasons, you can sign up for private sessions in our activity and school rooms. Find out how.

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    Interpreter Services & Communication Assistance

    Interpreter services in many languages and TDDs are available for families that need help communicating with care teams. Here's how to access them.

    Family Resource Center

    We help families cope with the challenges of childhood illness and hospitalization in a relaxing environment where parents can get a much-needed break.

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    Parent Support Program

    Weekly activities, including knitting, scrapbooking, chair massage and more, help family caregivers get a much-needed break. Find out more.

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    Patient Relations

    Patient relations reps and nursing supervisors are here to answer questions and address concerns. Learn about your rights, how to reach us and more.

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    Spiritual Care

    Chaplains help UCSF patients, families and staff cope with the spiritual and emotional challenges of childhood illness. Learn more.

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    International Services

    If you're coming to UCSF from outside the U.S., we coordinate your child's appointments and provide other helpful services. Here's how to get started.

    Related clinics (2)

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    Trauma Care Center

    Trauma Care Center

    747 52nd St.
    Oakland, CA 94609

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    Urgent Care Clinic

    Urgent Care Clinic

    Mill Valley / Oakland / Redwood City / Larkspur / San Francisco
    Decorative Caduceus

    Pediatric Dose Optimization for Seizures in Emergency Medical Services

    Binary assessment of whether the participant is seizing or not upon arrival to the emergency department, as measured by either a rapid response electroencephalogram (preferred) or clinical judgement (alternative).

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    Decorative Caduceus

    Pragmatic Pediatric Trial of Balanced Versus Normal Saline Fluid in Sepsis

    A composite of death, initiation of new inpatient renal replacement therapy (RRT), or persistent kidney dysfunction, at 30 days following study enrollment or hospital discharge, whichever comes first.

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    Saving future lives

    500+ UCSF investigators are researching cures for hundreds of childhood and adult diseases.

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