Nationwide Closure of Pediatric Intensive Care Units Forces Sick Children to Travel Farther
Pediatric intensive care units are disappearing across the U.S., with recent closures in several states pushing critically ill children to travel long distances for care.
Hospitals nationwide are eliminating dedicated pediatric intensive care beds, with recent closures in Montana, Oregon and Missouri and overnight pediatric wings shuttered in Illinois and California. The reductions stem from financial pressures, low case volumes and a dearth of pediatric subspecialists who earn less than adult specialists, prompting many facilities to repurpose beds for newborn or adult services. As a result, critically ill children must travel farther, often to regional hubs such as Missoula’s Community Medical Center or larger centers in Portland and Chicago.
Stakeholders, including Elizabeth Mack of the American Academy of Pediatrics, cite Medicaid cuts and administrative hurdles as amplifying the problem, especially in rural areas. Hospital leaders like Greg Cook attribute closures to staffing challenges and the inability to sustain low-volume units, while others argue quality concerns outweigh financial ones. The decline in pediatric inpatient units—from 1,749 in 2008 to 1,226 in 2022—means three-quarters of hospitals now lack any pediatric inpatient capacity, threatening timely treatment for serious childhood illnesses.
Why it matters
Fewer local pediatric intensive care beds force sick children to travel farther, risking delayed treatment and higher family burdens.
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