MeritCare Children's Hospital, located on the 4th floor of MeritCare Hospital in downtown Fargo, N.D., includes a Pediatric Unit, a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Designated a children's hospital by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions in 1986, MeritCare Children's Hospital is the only facility of its kind in the region and one of only 170 premier children's hospitals in the nation.
Our staff consists of pediatricians and pediatric specialists — including pediatric critical care and neonatology (the care of newborn babies), specialties rarely found elsewhere in North Dakota or northwestern Minnesota. MeritCare Children's also includes more than 200 pediatric nurses, therapists and other staff. These highly qualified medical experts practice in a number of important areas that allow children to be cared for right here in Fargo without having to travel long distances. Learn more about preparing for hospital stays and staying at the Children's Hospital.
The MeritCare Pediatric Unit has 22 private rooms, designed to create a feeling of comfort, featuring amenities such as PlayStation 2, television, DVD/CD player and a computer available for games, Internet access and e-mail. Each family-friendly room has a bathroom and a special couch or chair that folds out into a bed to allow a parent to sleep at his or her child's side. And that's important; studies show that sick children who are surrounded by their families in more personal environments recover more quickly.
Inside the Pediatric Unit are five rooms specifically designed for children with cancer. They have specialized air-handling and ventilation systems. These systems provide specially filtered air for a higher degree of protection for children with the most suppressed immune systems.
The Village of Laffalot
Once upon a time, not so long ago, a very special place for children was created, the Village of Laffalot. It is a place unlike any other on earth, bright, colorful and bursting with whimsy, where children with special health care needs come with their families. It is home to Alfunz, a Peeka-Door mouse, who talks to the nurses and doctors a lot and work with them to build things that help kids feel better. You might see some of the things Alfunz helped build around the Children's Hospital at MeritCare. Find out more about Alfunz and the renovated Children's Hospital.
The Village of Laffalot is a healing environment that is stimulating and non-threatening. It helps children feel safe, secure and joyful. And it is a place where they can have their families close by. The big people of the world have another name for Laffalot: MeritCare Children's Hospital and clinics. To us, it's a special hospital for children with state-of-the-art technology, the latest in health care knowledge, advanced techniques and some of the most amazing experts in children's health you'll find anywhere.
Laffalot is a fantasy place, but for the children who come to the hospital, life might not always be a fairy tale. Each year, hundreds come from North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. Some face serious and complex conditions like cancer and congenital heart disease, others struggle with more common illnesses such as diabetes and asthma, and others are victims of tragic accidents.