The Children’s Hospital Colorado brings Fundamental Critical Care Support: Pediatrics to clinicians across the Rocky Mountain region.
Since 2022, Children’s Hospital Colorado has been bringing high-quality pediatric critical care education directly to clinicians across the Rocky Mountain region through the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS): Pediatrics course. Developed to strengthen confidence and competence in caring for critically ill and injured children, SCCM designed this course with one goal in mind: supporting clinicians in rural and community hospitals who serve as the first line of care in pediatric emergencies.
Meeting Critical Needs in Rural Communities
Rural clinicians face unique challenges when stabilizing and caring for critically ill and injured pediatric patients. In many areas, transport delays due to distance, geography, or severe weather mean that children often remain in local facilities longer than expected while awaiting transfer to higher levels of care. This reality underscores the need for clinicians who are equipped, prepared, and confident in delivering advanced pediatric care during these crucial hours.
Additionally, access to pediatric-specific education in rural communities is limited, making it difficult for clinicians to stay current with evolving best practices. SCCM’s FCCS: Pediatrics course helps fill this gap by offering hands-on, evidence-based training close to home.
Expert-Led Training Delivered by Children’s Hospital Colorado
The courses are organized by the Outreach Education Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado and taught by a dedicated faculty team of pediatric experts, including physicians and nurses from the pediatric intensive care unit, emergency department, and outreach education. These multidisciplinary faculty ensure that learners receive comprehensive instruction reflective of real-world pediatric critical care teams.
Growing Regional Impact
Since launching the FCCS: Pediatrics program, Children’s Hospital Colorado has expanded its reach across the Rocky Mountain region (Figure 1). On average, the program delivers three to five courses per year, making pediatric critical care education more accessible than ever for rural clinicians.
Figure 1. FCCS: Pediatrics Overview.
Looking Ahead: Continued Expansion for 2026 Building on this success, Children’s Hospital Colorado plans to expand FCCS: Pediatrics courses to additional states in 2026. Children’s Hospital Colorado remains deeply committed to advancing pediatric education and care throughout the Rocky Mountain region, ensuring the availability of clinicians prepared to care for their youngest and most vulnerable patients.
Figure 2. Faculty instructor Michael Wittkamp, MD, FAAP, leading a skills station in Pueblo, Colorado.
Figure 3. Faculty instructor Kelly Reichert, RN, leading a station in Pueblo, Colorado.
Author
Nicki Shonka, MS, RN, NPD-BC, CPN
Nicki Shonka, MS, RN, NPD-BC, CPN, serves as the outreach education program director at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where she leads initiatives that support clinical learning and community education across the region. She is a course coordinator for the Fundamental Critical Care Support: Pediatrics courses offered by Children’s Hospital Colorado. Ms. Shonka has extensive experience in pediatric nursing, professional development, and supporting healthcare teams in delivering exceptional care.
Author
Michael Wittkamp, MD, FAAP
Michael Wittkamp, MD, is an associate professor of pediatric critical care medicine and executive faculty director for the Southern region in the Department of Pediatrics at University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, USA, and serves as an intensivist in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Colorado Springs, USA. He is also a faculty instructor, course director, and consultant for the Fundamental Critical Care Support: Pediatrics courses offered through Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Author
Brian Jackson, MD
Brian Jackson, MD, is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado, USA, where he serves as codirector of the Bioethics and Humanities Trail and associate faculty with the Center for Bioethics and Humanities. At Children’s Hospital Colorado, he is an intensivist, medical director of Clinical Ethics, president-elect of the medical staff, and Children’s One PICU medical director. Dr. Jackson contributes to critical care education as a faculty instructor and course director for the Fundamental Critical Care Support: Pediatrics courses provided by Children’s Hospital Colorado.
