A National Survey of Pediatric Post-Acute Care Facilities.

OBJECTIVES

To identify and geolocate pediatric post-acute care (PAC) facilities in the United States.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey using both online resources and telephone inquiry.

SETTING

All 50 U.S. states surveyed from June 2022 to May 2023. Care sites identified via state regulatory agencies and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Number, size, and type of facility, scope of practice, and type of care provided. One thousand three hundred fifty-five facilities were surveyed; of these, 18.6% (252/1355) were pediatric-specific units or adult facilities accepting some pediatric patients. There were 109 pediatric-specific facilities identified within 39 U.S. states. Of these, 38 were freestanding with all accepting children with tracheostomies, 97.4% (37/38) accepting those requiring mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy, and 81.6% (31/38) accepting those requiring parenteral nutrition. The remaining 71 facilities were adult facilities with embedded pediatric units or children's hospitals with 88.7% (63/71), 54.9% (39/71), and 54.9% (39/71), accepting tracheostomies, mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy, and parenteral nutrition, respectively. Eleven states lacked any pediatric-specific PAC units or facilities.

CONCLUSIONS

The distribution of pediatric PAC is sparse and uneven across the United States. We present an interactive map and database describing these facilities. These data offer a starting point for exploring the consequences of pediatric PAC supply.