MedPage Today December 10, 2025
Most families don’t live near hospitals with ‘substantial pediatric services,’ researcher says
Key Takeaways
- From 2003 to 2022, the proportion of hospitals with the broadest range of pediatric services decreased by 38%, while the proportion of hospitals with the lowest pediatric capability increased by 137%.
- The highest declines were for moderate-intensity services including appendectomy, pneumonia hospitalization, and asthma hospitalization.
- Potential contributing factors include lower reimbursement for pediatric (vs adult) inpatient care and difficulty maintaining pediatric staffing, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of U.S. hospitals equipped to handle pediatric cases fell over two decades, data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids’ Inpatient Database showed.
From 2003 to 2022, the proportion of hospitals with the broadest...
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