Pediatric emergency medicine physicians at Riley Children’s Health combine clinical skill and compassion to care for children of all ages with any medical need, including the most critically ill children in Indiana. In 2025, more than 70,000 children received expert care in the three emergency departments (EDs) at Riley Children’s. Our pediatric emergency locations include Riley Hospital for Children in downtown Indianapolis, a dedicated pediatric emergency department at IU Health North that opened in 2024 and a dedicated pediatric emergency department at IU Health Fishers that opened in 2025. EMERGENCY MEDICINE
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Riley Children’s is currently enrolling in three national Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) studies: ■ Bedside Exclusion of Pulmonary Embolism in Children without Radiation Exposure (BEEPER) ■ Pediatric Dose Optimization for Seizures in Emergency Medical Services (PediDOSE) ■ Hyperhydration to Improve Kidney Outcomes in Children with Shiga Toxin-Producing E. Coli ( HIKO-STEC in partnership with Riley Nephrology) Improving Pediatric Acute Care Through Simulation (ImPACTS) – We are engaged in multiple multicenter research initiatives with ImPACTS. These include a simulation-based study of EMS management of pediatric care and involvement in recruiting EMS agencies across Indiana. Riley Emergency Medicine is part of the National Emergency Airway Registry for Pediatric Emergency Medicine (NEAR4PEM). The registry includes research, education and international multicenter data collection on pediatric intubation safety and quality.
Riley Emergency Medicine is one of two programs in the nation to offer both a combined residency program in emergency medicine and pediatrics and a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine. We are one of only five programs to offer combined residency training in emergency medicine and pediatrics. In addition, Riley Children’s hosts a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine point-of- care ultrasound .
Committed to quality and patient safety To maintain innovative
The ED at Riley Hospital in downtown Indianapolis features: ■ 10-bed Riley ED observation unit (opened in May 2025) ■ Six-bed Pediatric Behavioral Health Access Center located adjacent to the ED and renovated in 2024 ■ “Fast Track” – Area dedicated to providing high-quality care to children with lower-acuity illnesses and injuries; staffed up to 24 hours per day
TOP DISTINCTIONS
■ One of a select number of hospitals in the nation to be verified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center ■ Certified as “Pediatric Advanced” by the Indiana Emergency Medical Services for Children Pediatric Facility Recognition Program ■ More than 90% of physicians
improvement in caring for the sickest children in the state, the Riley ED performed 10 in-situ simulations to identify latent safety threats. We also started a leading- edge video review program of our most critical trauma cases to improve teamwork, communication and patient care.
certified in point-of-care ultrasound—accelerates
diagnosis and management of illness, and improves accuracy and patient safety ■ Leads pediatric disaster response planning/ preparedness for Indiana (as part of Region V for Kids )
Emergency medicine physicians at Riley Children’s have subspecialty expertise in disaster medicine, emergency medical services (prehospital care), point- of-care ultrasound, and informatics and simulation. This specialized experience impacts care for patients at Riley Children’s, throughout Indiana and across the nation.
NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS
Pediatrics: June 2025 Reducing computed tomography in pediatric cervical spine
clearance: A quality improvement study Resuscitation Plus: September 2025
Measuring ventilation in pediatric simulations using a novel adjustable bag-valve-mask resuscitator: A comparative study with the Butterfly BVM and the traditional Ambu bag BMC Neurology: April 2025 Neurocognitive manifestation after treatment of pediatric severe anaphylaxis Applied Clinical Informatics: May 2025 User-centered design in real-time: Utilization of an insider position to inform design and adoption
Team member growth and expansion improves access Riley Emergency Medicine has recruited 15 new pediatric emergency medicine physicians, allowing for 24/7 staffing at IU Health North and IU Health Fishers, while also expanding access with a third evening shift at Riley Hospital for Children in downtown Indianapolis. Growing our physician team boosts access to Riley care closer to home at our two suburban sites, shorter wait times for families downtown and expanded capacity for education for more than 200 learners rotating through Riley Emergency Medicine each year.
DIVISION CHIEF Cory D. Showalter, MD Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, IU School of Medicine > Connect with Dr. Showalter on Doximity.
47 board certified physicians
See full team member list >
IU Health 24/7 Transfer Center 877.247.1177
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