Many families are facing the incredible task of finding a pediatrician, a problem that’s likely to worsen. The pediatrician shortage is caused by many factors that include aging physicians, increased demand for pediatric services, moral injury, poorly designed financial incentives and a decline in the number of medical students choosing pediatrics as their specialty.
According to the National Resident Match Program, only 92% of pediatric residency slots in 2024 filled compared to 97% in 2023. Clinician burnout and lower pay compared to specialities are among the many reasons physicians are not choosing to enter pediatrics. As a result, some families are now facing less options and long wait times for pediatric appointments.
A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that female pediatricians are more likely to experience burnout than their male counterparts. Female pediatricians reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment compared to male pediatricians.
This issue is unlikely to go away soon, and there are many ways to convey its impact to audiences. Here are a few angles and story ideas to consider.
Local impact analysis
Localizing this national crisis can help audiences understand its impact on their community. Investigate how the shortage is affecting local communities by looking at the current pediatrician-to-patient ratios, wait times for appointments and the impact on children’s health outcomes.
Compare the impact of the shortage in rural areas versus urban centers. Highlight specific challenges faced by rural families, such as travel distances and fewer health care options. Sources could include rural health advocates, families in rural areas, telemedicine providers and policymakers.
Personal stories also help communicate the human impact. Tell the stories of families and pediatricians directly affected by the shortage, such as this story broadcast on Rhode Island’s local news station, WPRI-TV. Burnout and moral injury are among the reasons many physicians are not considering pediatrics. Provide a human face to the crisis, showing the real-world implications, which can include economic ones like the cost of health care, lost workdays for parents, and long-term economic impacts on communities.
Pediatric subspecialties
Pediatrician shortages are severe, but pediatric subspecialty shortages are even worse. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers state-specific resources that detail the impact of these shortages in each state. These fact sheets show how far children in each state need to travel to see pediatric subspecialists. They also detail how loan repayment can help increase access to care.
For example, the average driving distance to reach a pediatric gastroenterologist in Iowa is 31.7 miles, which is 10 miles more than the average driving distance to see a specialist in other parts of the U.S, according to the AAP. Some Iowans have to drive up to 98.4 miles to reach the nearest pediatric gastroenterologist, the agency calculated.
The health care shortage has also expanded to include pediatric nurse practitioners. Of the 270,000 nurse practitioners in the U.S., less than 8% are educated and certified as pediatric nurse practitioners, according to the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.
Policy and funding gaps
Many pediatricians are now contending with newly enacted laws that limit care provided by pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists, such as adolescent reproductive care. Clinical training programs in the Southeast, where many of these laws have been recently passed, are having the hardest time filling pediatric positions, according to a July 2024 JAMA editorial.
“We worry that applicants are concerned about the scope of their training and practice being limited, as well as their own safety in these states,” the authors wrote. “These trends could exacerbate an already existing geographic disparity in pediatric care.”
The South has the highest childhood poverty rates and the fewest resources for pediatric care compared to any other region in the U.S., the authors noted.
The Children’s Hospital Association has created fact sheets that lists federal solutions as well as policy solutions that may incentivize more clinicians to enter pediatrics and help close the gap in care. Additional potential angles include analyzing current and proposed legislation aimed at addressing the shortage. Consider also discussing funding for medical education, incentives for working in underserved areas and health care reforms.
Educational pipeline issues
Examine the factors contributing to the shortage from an educational perspective. Look into medical school enrollment rates, the number of residency slots and the financial burden on medical students. Sources could include medical school administrators, current medical students, education policymakers and health care economists.
Some legislation is considering easing the educational pipeline to make pediatrics more appealing to medical students. The American Medical Association’s Physician Recovery Plan proposes passing bipartisan legislation to expand residency training options, provide greater student loan support and create smoother pathways for foreign-trained physicians. What might that look like in practice? And where does this legislation stand now? It’s worth asking.
Innovative solutions and success stories
Highlight communities or programs that have successfully mitigated the impact of the shortage through innovative approaches such as telehealth, nurse practitioners and collaborative care models. Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS, for example, ran a story about UNLV Health working to provide access to pediatric care by having pediatricians do “house calls” at schools. The clinicians care for all students, even those who are uninsured.
A considerable number of pediatricians caring for children in medically underserved areas are U.S. trained international medical graduates on a visa status. Consider profiling how this group of physicians are working to expand access to care and fill the gap.
Investigate the role of technology in mitigating the shortage, such as telemedicine, AI in diagnostics and digital health records. Compare how other countries are dealing with similar shortages. Finally, identify best practices and potential lessons for the U.S.
Additional resources
- U.S. State and county distributions of general pediatricians and subspecialists — The American Board of Pediatrics.
- Why It’s So Hard to Find a Pediatrician — New York Times op-ed.
- The Pediatric Subspeciality Workforce and Its Impact on Child Health and Well-Being — National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
