US Hospitals Turn Away Sick Children as Pediatric Units Shrink Nearly 30%
Updated
Updated · STAT · Oct 27
US Hospitals Turn Away Sick Children as Pediatric Units Shrink Nearly 30%
2 articles · Updated · STAT · Oct 27
Summary
Children’s hospitals now routinely refuse transfers because pediatric crowding that spiked in the 2022 tripledemic has become a daily condition, leaving some community ERs unable to place critically ill children.
Nearly 30% of US hospitals with pediatric inpatient units disappeared from 2008 to 2022, while many smaller facilities also shed the staff and specialists needed to treat even asthma, allergic reactions or gallstones locally.
Two 2022 rural cases captured the stakes: a California baby died after hospitals lacked ICU space, while a Washington baby survived only after a regional transfer coordination center found an exception bed after 12 hours.
That Washington center later closed after budget cuts, underscoring the report’s argument that low Medicaid reimbursement and weak funding are driving hospitals out of pediatric care.
The authors call for higher pediatric Medicaid payments, permanent regional transfer-control systems in at least 19 states, and more telehealth and training support from children’s hospitals to community providers.