Emergency Rooms Ill Prepared to Treat Children

Case Featured on Front Page of the Wall Street Journal

Only about 14% of emergency departments in America are certified to treat kids, or are children's hospitals with emergency rooms specialized in treating children. To illustrate this sad reality, one of the Birth Justice Law Firm's cases was featured, on October 2, 2023, on the front page of the Wall Street Journal in “Children Are Dying in Unprepared Emergency Rooms Across America.” The case involves a failure to timely treat a child with a life-threatening bowel obstruction. A Wall Street Journal subscription is needed to access the entire article.

The Wall Street Journal report featured the tragic stories of three children who suffered harm from emergency room physicians that should have been prepared to provide them with appropriate care. The Journal article highlights the training and equipment necessary to prevent future children from harm. Hospitals taking steps to improve their pediatric readiness are also featured.

In addition to the published article, the story was subsequently featured on The Wall Street Journal podcast on November 17, 2023. The podcast is available for listening without a subscription.