Securing the Pediatric Workforce

A strong pediatric workforce ensures children can access specialized care when and where they need it.

Published March 01, 2026|
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Children deserve timely access to high‑quality, specialized care. Yet children’s hospitals across the country face difficulty recruiting and retaining the pediatric professionals who make that care possible.

Pediatric providers undergo years of specialized training to meet the unique needs of children, but they often face lower reimbursement rates and limited public workforce support compared to other specialties.

CHA’s goal is simple: to ensure every child receives the care they need, when they need it. By advancing federal policy solutions and supporting a stable, sustainable pediatric workforce, we are helping build a stronger future for children’s health.

About Children's Hospital Association

Children’s Hospital Association is the national voice of more than 200 children’s hospitals, advancing child health through innovation in the quality, cost, and delivery of care.

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Policy Solutions

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Securing the Workforce That Cares for America’s Children

A strong pediatric workforce is essential. CHA created a blueprint to guide federal policy solutions.

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Investing in the Pediatric Workforce with the CHGME Program

Learn how the Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education Program meets the growing demand for specialized pediatric care.

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Prioritize Children’s Health: 2026 Policy Priorities for Federal Policymakers

As Congress and the administration develop health care policies, we encourage them to consider the unique needs of children and the children's hospitals that serve them.

Elevating Access to Care

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Cutting Time to Care: An Early Onboarding Model for Advanced Practice Providers

Learn how a children’s hospital program acclimates newly graduated nurse practitioners, enabling them to work sooner.

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Improving Pediatric Emergency Care at Rural Hospitals

Primary Children’s Hospital is preparing rural hospitals across five states to care for critically ill kids.

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Initiative Seeks to Strengthen Pediatric Care in Rural Georgia

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Mercer University School of Medicine have combined efforts to support rural health care providers who care for children.

Hospital Solutions

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Solutions for a Sustainable Workforce

Learn how children's hospitals and health systems are addressing workforce challenges through innovative initiatives and sustainable strategies.

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4 Keys to Unlocking the Potential Workforce

Younger workers identify what they expect from employers and how children’s hospitals can make it happen.

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Real-World Solutions for Workforce Challenges

Find practical guides and blueprints to grow a virtual nursing program from scratch and bolster your respiratory therapist and radiology technologist staff.

The Pediatric Difference


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5 Eye-Opening Data Points About Children's Hospitals

Discover what makes pediatric hospitals unique among hospitals.

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The Real Cost of Caring for Kids: Why Children’s Hospitals Require Different Metrics

Comparing children’s hospitals to adult facilities misses the mark.

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7 Truths Most People Don’t Know About Children’s Hospitals

Children’s hospitals are so much more than hospitals.