How poised is your state to handle a disaster with mass pediatric casualties?
Illinois, New Jersey and Tennessee are the only states in the country to mandate emergency preparedness for pediatric patients.
Those three plus Delaware and Utah make up the five states in which 50% or more of EDs are pediatric-ready.
The Wall Street Journal reports these findings in a healthcare feature posted Oct. 1.
In compiling data for the piece, the newspaper found only 14% of EDs and trauma centers across the U.S. have been certified as up to the job for children by the states in which they operate.
The WSJ notes that there’s no national standard for awarding such certifications. As a result, stringent Utah only certifies hospitals that score 80% or better on a 100-point scale—while Texas and New Mexico “have few requirements beyond hospitals working to improve their emergency care for kids.”
More:
“State criteria for pediatric trauma centers also vary. The Journal excluded pediatric trauma centers that didn’t meet many of the requirements of the American College of Surgeons, a professional association that sets detailed standards for trauma centers and verifies hundreds of them nationwide.”
With those caveats spelled out, the WSJ maps child-ready EDs by percentages per state. The results:
States in which 50% or more of EDs have pediatric expertise:
- Delaware
- Illinois
- New Jersey
- Tennessee
- Utah
20% to 49% of EDs have pediatric expertise in:
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- Wyoming
11% to 19% of EDs have pediatric expertise in:
- Alaska
- Kentucky
- Nevada
- Rhode island
- Washington
6% to 10% of EDs have pediatric expertise in:
- Colorado
- Florida
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
5% of EDs—or fewer—have pediatric expertise in:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Texas
Full article and map here.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.