Missed Pediatric Outpatient Otolaryngology Appointments During Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis

Sunday, October 18, 2026

11:18 AM - 11:24 AM PT

Location: 406A

Presenting Author(s)

TB

Taylor Brown Egly, BA

Medical Student
Student
Minneapolis, MN, United States

Co-Author(s)

AN

Amanda J. Nickel, PhD, MPH, CCRP

Senior Statistician
Children's Minnesota
St. Louis Park, Minnesota, United States
EB

Ethan C. Bassett, MD

Assistant Professor
Children's Minnesota
Edina, Minnesota, United States
Brianne B. Roby, MD

MD, FACS
Children's Minnesota
St. Paul, MN, United States
SC

Sivakumar Chinnadurai, MD, MPH

Professor
ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery, Children's Minnesota ; Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Minnesota
Minnespolis, Minnesota, United States
AR

Andrew J. Redmann, MD, FACS

Associate Professor, Pediatric Otolaryngology
Children's Minnesota ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic
Shoreview, MN, United States

Senior Author(s)

AJ

Asitha Jayawardena, MD, MPH

Associate Professor, Pediatric Otolaryngology
Children's Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Disclosure(s):

Taylor Brown Egly, BA:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Andrew J. Redmann, MD, FACS:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: Operation Metro Surge, an ongoing operation by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has significantly disrupted day to day activity in Twin Cities metro, MN. The downstream effects of this effort on patient care have not been fully evaluated, despite anecdotal evidence from healthcare providers. Missed outpatient appointments, including reschedules, cancellations and no-shows, are significant barriers to timely and effective healthcare delivery. This study compares pediatric ENT outpatient missed appointment rates during the week following the first immigration-enforcement–related fatality event compared to data from the year prior.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of pediatric ENT outpatient appointment data from multiple clinic locations in the Twin Cities metro within a Minnesota pediatric health system between January 2025 and January 2026. Missed appointments were defined as reschedules, cancellations or no-shows. Reschedule data was consolidated from a pool of general peds and ENT.

Results: Between January 2025 and January 2026, 33,473 pediatric ENT outpatient appointments were scheduled, of which 6,372 (19%) were missed across all sites. In Minneapolis, the no-show/cancellation appointment rate during the week following the first fatality event was 33.3%, compared with the same week in 2025 (22.8%; OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.04–2.77). During this period, the odds of a missed appointment in Minneapolis were significantly higher than at non-Minneapolis-based clinics (OR = 2.42, 95% CI 1.59–3.68). Reschedule rates increased by 61.7% (p < 0.001) during this time frame. Non-Minneapolis clinics did not experience a significant missed appointment rate.

Conclusions: Missed pediatric ENT outpatient appointments markedly increased in Minneapolis following the first fatality event. Social circumstances preventing patient navigation into outpatient care may prohibit full participation in the healthcare system during this period. Longitudinal data will help better understand this evolving situation.