News: Children’s hospital beds factor into COVID-19 bed capacity for adults

With a surge of COVID-19 patients expected at the nation's hospitals, children’s hospitals can be part of the solution to support broader communities, HealthLeaders Media reported.

Although admitting and transferring adults to children’s hospitals is not ideal because equipment, medication calibration, training, protocols, supplies, and safety alerts are geared for younger patients, the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) has devised a plan that could free up a significant number of beds.

Currently, about 50% of children are hospitalized in roughly 2,000 adult facilities. By directing younger patients to hospitals solely devoted to children’s care, adult facilities could increase capacity of patients with COVID-19, which disproportionately effects the adult population reported HealthLeaders Media.

The CHA initiative, "Consolidating Pediatric Hospital Care to Increase Capacity for Adults with COVID-19," was submitted to CMS for further input and guidance. CHA has not yet received a response from CMS.

Some of the ideas put forward by the CHA were to:

• Move children out of adult hospitals
   
• Direct new pediatric admissions to children's hospitals
   
• Expand the age range of patients admitted at children's hospitals to include patients in their 20s

CHA does not have authority to enforce these recommendations, which impact thousands of hospitals who are not Association members. CDI professionals working in pediatric settings, however, should prepare for a potential influx of patients transferring to their organizations from adult facilities.  

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in HealthLeaders Media. The Children’s Hospital Association plan can be found here. To see all of ACDIS’ COVID-19 pandemic coverage, click here.