Study: Millions of children far away from trauma centers

As most FierceHealthcare readers know, every minute counts in trauma care--so it's disconcerting to learn that more than 17 million U.S. children live more than an hour away by ground or air transport from a pediatric trauma center.

This statistic is drawn from a new study by researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, who note that this constitutes about one-third of the population ages 1 to 14.

Right now, there are about 170 pediatric trauma centers in the U.S. according to the researchers. But particularly in rural areas, there are large gaps in service, especially in Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming. These states, provide almost no access to verified pediatric trauma centers unless patients travel more than one hour.

The issue is particularly pressing, given that injuries cause more deaths among children ages 1 to 14 than all other causes combined, the authors note.

To learn more abaout the study:
- read this Health Leaders Media piece

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