Future doctors training to address Georgia's critical pediatrician shortage

New pediatricians from Emory School of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine are training at the new Children's Healthcare of Atlanta location in Atlanta's Adamsville community.

These up-and-coming doctors are meeting a critical need by addressing the state's pediatrician shortage.

"We get to work in various areas of pediatrics and see a whole variety of patients with different complex needs," said Jacqueline Pesco, a resident training in Adamsville.

Dr. Eunice Radcliff works alongside Pesco, helping her prepare for the next level of service and provide medical care to children. Radcliff serves as a pediatric doctor for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, a pediatrician in the Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, and an assistant professor at the Emory School of Medicine.

"About 65 residents rotate through this location annually, but we have more than 120 residents that we support throughout three-plus years of training, depending on what their career path is," Radcliff said.

She said the need for more pediatricians is urgent in Atlanta and across the state. According to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, more than 60 counties in Georgia don't have licensed, practicing pediatricians.

"If we don't have enough pediatricians in our city and our state, that really does impact the next generation of adults, perhaps. If children are unable to grow up in a healthy way, develop appropriately, and manage chronic illnesses,"
Radcliff said.

The skills that Pesco is learning will help her shape a child's life.

"It is a lot of school and hard work, but it really will pay off in the end knowing that I will have such an impact on these children," Pesco said.

In its July 2016 report, the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce said counties with the most pediatricians per 100,000 people include Chattahoochee County (5.2 doctors), DeKalb County (5.1), and Richmond County (5.1 doctors).

The areas highly impacted by the shortage include West Central South, Southwest, and South Georgia. The United States is facing a shortage of 9,320 pediatricians in the country by 2038. In Georgia, the shortage will be roughly 730 pediatric physicians, according to the state's Human Resources Administration.

For more information on Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's fellowships and residencies, see here.