Families in Erie will now have access to pediatric services at UPMC Hamot. Community members are celebrating a new pediatric unit at the hospital.

The nine bed unit will provide inpatient care to children and their families throughout the Erie region.

It’s located in the Magee-Womens Hospital building on East 2nd Street in downtown Erie.

“We know that over the past year we’ve had close to 7,000 patients travel in to Pittsburgh to receive pediatric specialty care. Our goal is to keep many of those children back in their hometown and provide the care to them, make it easier on the families, while still receiving top-notch pediatric care,” said Diane Hupp, president, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

The unit adds to the strong complement of care already available to children, including specialty care, and primary care pediatrics.