Atlanta-area hospitals are struggling to keep up with a rapidly expanding population of children. The area has seen an influx of young people moving to the area; in addition, more Latino immigrants are choosing to settle in Atlanta. These factors have combined to produce record numbers of sick children and no place to treat them. The situation has led to a growing number of diversions, as hospitals send children to other facilities when their own hospital is too full.
Area hospitals are racing to build new facilities, but even this expanded capacity may not be enough to treat the number of children in the area. And the worst is yet to come. By 2010, an additional 120,000 children will likely be living in metro Altanta. "The question is, how long will it support the volume of patients and will we have the capacity to meet the need?" said Jean Phillips, director of planning at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "Those are the questions we have to ask ourselves constantly."
For more on Atlanta's booming population:
- check out this article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle