Only five states have 50 percent or more of its hospitals with state certification for readiness for pediatric emergencies, an investigation Oct. 1 by The Wall Street Journal found.
The Journal created a comprehensive list of hospitals nationwide that have received state certification of some level of readiness for pediatric emergencies, including children's hospitals and ceratin pediatric trauma centers.
It found only three states — Illinois, New Jersey and Tennessee — have mandatory preparedness programs and 22 states have voluntary programs. According to a chart, states with mandatory or voluntary programs have higher rates of pediatric preparedness than states without it.
Here are states listed by share of emergency rooms deemed pediatric ready:
5 percent or under
Alabama
Arkansas
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Kansas
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Mississippi
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Texas
6 percent to 10 percent
Colorado
Florida
Indiana
Iowa
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
South Carolina
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
Wisconsin
11 percent to 19 percent
Alaska
Kentucky
Nevada
Rhode island
Washington
20 to 49 percent
Arizona
California
Connecticut
Montana
New Hampshire
Wyoming
50 percent or more
Delaware
Illinois
New Jersey
Tennessee
Utah