Children’s hospitals are on the frontline of care for kids, anchoring the pediatric safety net for the most vulnerable among us.
Tragically, COVID-19 infections are growing among children, respiratory illnesses such as RSV are surging, and the ongoing mental health impact of the pandemic are pushing our children’s hospitals to capacity. Combined with significant hospital workforce shortages, the pediatric safety net for all children is being threatened in unprecedented ways.
We call on leaders in the public and private sectors and the American public to stand with us to help protect our children.
- All eligible populations should be vaccinated.
- Everyone should mask responsibly, particularly during school and while attending large gatherings.
- All should adhere to proven safe practices of social distancing and hand washing.
Additionally, many of us stepped out of our normal routines in the last year. It’s also vitally important to make sure that children see their physicians for routine well child visits, including routine immunizations. Well child visits and immunizations are cornerstones of ensuring the health and wellbeing of our children.
Together, we can keep our children safer. They need our support, our care, and our commitment to their future. They need it now.
With urgency and respect,
- The Children’s Hospital Alliance of Tennessee
- The Children’s Hospital Alliance of Tennessee Quality and Safety Collaborative
- East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
- Children’s Hospital at Erlanger
- Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
- Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
- Niswonger Children’s Hospital
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
