Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH – When Every Second Counts
The Pediatric Emergency Department at Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH Offers Trusted Care When Every Second Counts
One moment, 9-year-old Leah Lendell was playfully snorkeling with her family in the placid Gulf waters off Boca Grande; the next she was yanked suddenly into a blur of pain and terror.
It was a beautiful June afternoon in 2025 when Leah felt a sharp, searing tug on her right arm. An instant later, she began to scream for her mother at the sight of her hand, covered in blood. The unthinkable had happened: She had been attacked by a shark.
As Leah’s stunned and horrified parents helped their daughter to shore, nearby construction workers raced over to assist, calling 911. Paramedics were on the scene in about three minutes, applying a tourniquet that saved Leah’s life. But could her hand, barely attached, be saved, too?
The answer was yes — thanks to the swift action of her family, first responders and the extraordinary pediatric emergency care team at Tampa General Hospital (TGH).
The decision to transport Leah to Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH via one of the hospital’s Aeromed helicopters* made all the difference in the world, because the experienced pediatric trauma team was able to quickly stabilize her, restore blood flow and perform the complicated surgery to re-attach and save Leah’s hand.
“Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH is the only American College of Surgeons-verified Level I Pediatric Trauma Program in the region,” says Christopher Wilson, director of Patient Services, Pediatric Emergency Department at TGH. “That means when a child arrives to the Pediatric Emergency Department, they will receive the highest level of care available for trauma medicine.”
That is not the only thing that differentiates the pediatric emergency department — serving infants, children and adolescents — from other area hospitals. It is fully staffed by pediatric emergency medicine physicians, who first complete either pediatrics or emergency medicine residency, then go on to pediatric emergency medicine fellowships.
“Most emergency departments in our region have adult [trained] physicians caring for children and receiving only some pediatric training. But our doctors are specifically trained to take care of children.”
The Pediatric Emergency Department is also staffed with dedicated and highly trained registered nurses and child life specialists, who all specialize in caring for children and helping them cope with trauma.
Through its partnership with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH’s medical staff also includes pediatric specialists and subspecialists available in only a handful of hospitals statewide.
They offer an integrated approach that addresses children’s psychological, social and developmental needs, in addition to specialized treatment — all in a child-friendly environment that caters to families.
“We lead cutting-edge research to better our care and further our knowledge,” said Dr. Jasmine Patterson, medical director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH, and associate professor of Emergency Medicine at USF Health.
One of the other unique aspects of Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH’s pediatric emergency department is that it functions as a hospital within a hospital — a state-of-the-art facility located inside Tampa General’s main building on the Davis Islands campus.
“We have more than 30 pediatric subspecialties, which allows us to care for any injured or ill child throughout the region,” said Jerilys Flowers, senior administrator at Muma Children's Hospital at TGH. “Our team is fully pediatric trained, and we provide specialized care tailored to the needs of every child.”
Leah and her family will gratefully attest to that.
*Air transport services provided by Metro Aviation, Inc.
Presented By: Tampa General Hospital | Photos By: Tampa General Hospital