Highlight
Pediatric acute care in the US is regionally distinct and existing adult-based geographic frameworks inadequately capture pediatric use patterns. This landmark study employed Medicaid data from over 27 million encounters to develop the first empirically derived pediatric-specific Acute Care Atlas comprising Pediatric Emergency Service Areas (PESAs) and Pediatric Emergency Referral Regions (PERRs). The new atlas demonstrated higher modularity and retention of patient encounters within regions compared to existing adult or mixed-population atlases, underscoring the value of pediatric-specific mapping for research, policy, and healthcare quality improvement.
