Inpatient Care
Referrals for Inpatient Services
Patients up to 21 years of age may be admitted to Children's. When referring a patient for admission, please follow the applicable instructions below.
Scheduled Admissions
Scheduled inpatient admissions are planned admissions for the following day or a date in the future. To make arrangements for a scheduled admission, please call Admitting at (206) 987-2050.
You will be asked to provide the following information:
- Patient's name and date of birth
- Arrival date, time and mode of transportation
- Admitting diagnosis, estimated length of stay and plan
- Classification (emergent, urgent, elective)
- Special needs (e.g., interpreter, tracheotomy, developmental delay, social concerns)
- Possible exposure to contagious disease (e.g., chicken pox, measles)
- Referring physician name and telephone number
- Insurance information
- Attending physician – you or your colleague
Please note: single rooms cannot be reserved or guaranteed unless the patient requires isolation.
Unscheduled Admissions
Unscheduled inpatient admissions are immediate or same day admission. To make arrangements for an unscheduled admission, please call either:
- Seattle Metropolitan Area: (206) 987-4MDS (4637), option 2
- Toll free: (877) 985-4MDS, option 2
Arrival Information
In general, unscheduled inpatient admissions should enter through the Emergency Room entrance.
- Emergency Department staff will perform a brief visual assessment of the patient at no charge and send the child to the inpatient unit.
- The patient will not be seen by an Emergency Department physician unless judged clinically unstable or requiring initiation of treatment.
- If this occurs, Emergency Department charges may be incurred.
Admissions from a Children's specialty clinic or facility (e.g., day surgery, radiology) where the patient is medically stable may be handled through the Admitting department.
Admission Notification
If your patient is admitted to the hospital either through the Emergency Department or by a Children's specialist, you will receive a fax notification of the admission within 24 hours of admission.
This fax will include the location of your patient, reason for admission, the names of the physicians responsible for care, and a contact phone number.
Hospital Transfers
Arrangements to transfer an inpatient from another facility to Children's are made by calling (206) 987-2000 and having the chief medical resident paged.
To arrange a transfer of a patient under one month old, call MEDCON at one of the following numbers:
- Seattle Metropolitan Area: (206) 543-5300
- Toll Free: (800) 326-5300