ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — Researchers claim pediatric care capabilities are declining nationwide, with many hospitals not having full equipment or staffing for childcare units.

“If a patient or child is sick, they should go to their nearest emergency department, and they should be confident about the care they’re going to get,” said Dr. Ken Michelson, a researcher working at the Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “The capabilities of hospitals to provide care for children are declining. And it’s unfortunate to see, but over the past two decades, hospitals have either reduced their commitment to pediatrics or have gotten out of the business of pediatrics altogether.”

These limitations are felt in Utah. One family in St. George is celebrating their daughter’s health a year after she nearly lost her life. It was on her birthday last year that the family traveled to three hospitals across the state before receiving adequate care.

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“It’s just like sheer terror at the thought of losing a child,” said Taryn Bennion, mother of 3-year-old Penelope “Nellie” Bennion.

Last February, Bennion noticed Nellie having trouble breathing. Doctors told her she had RSV and two types of COVID. While she was rushed to the St. George Regional Hospital, just a three-minute drive away, they said they didn’t have the equipment to incubate her.

“It was so frustrating, and it got to the point where you just think, ‘Where am I supposed to go? Where do I take my child?’” Bennion said.

Nellie was then flown to Salt Lake, but Primary Children’s Hospital was full, requiring another transfer to Lehi. Bennion says she was worried whether Nellie would make it in time.

“It makes me rethink because if they don’t have the right equipment, if we don’t have what we need, then what’s the point?” Bennion asked, adding that she had chosen to live in the area due to the close proximity to the hospital. “I think that we need to change how the children are treated in hospitals. They need to get the equipment we need to actually take care of the children because they’re our legacy. They are the ones who are going to be here after we’re gone. They’re the ones who are going to inherit what we leave behind, and we need to take care of the next generation.”

2News reached out to Intermountain Health asking if they have changed or plan to update equipment in St. George and whether they expect pediatric units to be full with this year’s measles and flu outbreaks.

They said the region of Southern Utah has seen major escalations in RSV, flu, and measles cases, which may cause hospital patients to be referred to other areas. They also say they are always looking to address pediatrics in the area, but more severe cases will be referred to larger pediatric units in Salt Lake City, Lehi, or the new children’s hospital groundbreaking in Las Vegas later this year.

“St. George Regional Hospital provides high quality care to all our patients and is one of the leading hospitals in the region,” said St. George Regional Hospital. “As part of an integrated health system, we provide access to specialized care across the region to ensure that area residents have access to the best care possible.”

Nellie is now back to what her mom calls her “sassy self” and says she’s excited to meet Donald Duck at an upcoming birthday trip to Disneyland.

While the family is grateful to have her back, Bennion says they still live nervously, worried they won’t notice or fix a sickness in time.

“If it’s anything respiratory, I get paranoid,” she said. “I always in the back of my mind am wondering if it’s going to happen again. I’m kind of afraid to like leave the house nowadays because of all that that’s breaking out.”

Intermountain Health shared that it is always important to get your children seen if they show signs of fast, hard and sustained breathing.

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