Important Things to Do Once You Have Scheduled
If your child is coming to Children’s for a surgery, procedure, or hospital stay, you will have some things to take care of beforehand.
1. Call your insurance company
Check with your insurance company to see if you need a second opinion for planned or elective surgery.
2. Read your Before Surgery/Procedure checklist
Once your child's surgery is scheduled, you will receive a checklist in the mail. This includes all of the important things you will need to do before your child's surgery or procedure, including instructions about medicines, anesthesia and location, and eating and drinking instructions.
3. Arrange for housing and transportation
If your child is spending the night at Children's main hospital campus in Seattle, one parent may sleep near your child. If you need help finding a place to stay or transportation in Seattle or Bellevue, contact Guest Services.
To find out about directions, food, visiting and other hospital and neighborhood services at the Seattle location, see the Main Campus Visitor and Family Guide.
4. Arrange child care for siblings
Overnight stay at Seattle Main Campus
Child care is not available at Children’s. If your child (the patient) has to stay overnight, brothers and sisters, including babies who are breast-feeding, may not stay overnight with you in the patient's room.
Patient visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Siblings may visit between these hours. Children under 12 must be with an adult.
Sibling Playrooms for short visits
Seattle Main Campus
If you need to bring siblings, we have a free, supervised playroom for brothers and sisters ages 3 to 11 who are toilet-trained. They may stay for two hours, and there are no reservations. As long as there is space, we allow siblings in.
Location: Level 6, Ocean zone
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center
Find out about the Sibling Playroom at the Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center.
5. Request wheelchair or Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing services
If you or your child need a wheelchair or Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing or any other special servics, call your clinic. We will make plans with you before you arrive.
6. Send medical records
If requested, ask your child's doctor(s) to send medical records, x-rays or test results to the hospital.
7. Get insurance authorization
Ask your insurance company if you need a managed-care referral from your child's primary doctor and/or pre-authorization for your child's hospital stay.
If you have questions about the authorization process, call Children’s Insurance Processing Department at 206-987-5757.
8. Fax managed-care insurance referral
If you do need a managed-care referral, ask your child's doctor to fax us at 206-985-3297.
IMPORTANT: It is your responsibility to make sure that Children’s receives the insurance referral at least two business days before your child's admission.
Call Children’s Insurance Processing Department at 206-987-5757 for additional information.
9. Apply for financial assistance
Find out more about financial assistance.
10. Ask family or friends for support
Ask family or friends to help care for siblings at home, or to come visit your child at the hospital. Older kids' friends might bring their school work to them. Patient visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (children under 12 must be with an adult).
People who are ill or have recently been exposed to someone with a cold, flu or other similar illness are asked not to visit. Learn more about visiting and gifts.
11. Let us know about your cultural or religious practices
Let the Children’s clinic or community doctor who referred your child for admission know in advance if you require special food for your child.
If you have personal, ethical or spiritual values that may affect how we work together, we want to know. We will do everything we can to respect your wishes.
Learn more about the pastoral and spiritual care services we provide.
Important Things to Do the Day Before a Surgery or Procedure
1. Find out the time and get eating and drinking instructions
You should receive a phone call from Children's before your child's surgery or procedure with eating and drinking instructions, location and time.
For a surgery at the Seattle Main Campus:
If you do not hear from us by early evening the night before your child's surgery, call the Surgery Center at 206-987-7890.
For a procedure at the Seattle Main Campus:
If you do not hear from us three business days before the procedure, call the Outpatient Procedure Center at 206-987-5525, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
For a surgery/procedure at the Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center:
If you do not hear from us three business days before the surgery, call the Bellevue Surgery Center Nurse Line at 206-884-9200.
2. Check for illness
If your child becomes ill one week before surgery:
- Call your child's specialty clinic. The name of it will be on your Before Surgery/Procedure Checklist you received in the mail.
If your child is ill the day of surgery,call:
- Seattle Main Campus: 206-987-2045
- Bellevue Clinic and Surgery center: 206-884-9200
Important Things to Bring
1. Insurance cards
Bring your health insurance and prescription cards.
2. Medical coupons
Remember coupons if your child is on Medicaid, DSHS, Healthy Options or Basic Health Plus.
3. Court papers
Bring any legal papers giving custody or guardianship. If you are not a parent with legal custody, bring legal papers that allow you to admit your child to the hospital or consent to your child's surgery.
4. List of medicines
Bring a list of the prescription and non-prescription medicines and vitamin supplements your child is taking, including the name, dosage and concentration. If you do not have a list, feel free to bring the actual bottles of medicines or vitamins.
5. Clothing
Children’s provides gowns and footwear, but your child may feel better in his own clothes, like sweat pants, large t-shirts, socks, underwear, pajamas, etc.
6. Play and comfort items
A favorite blanket, toy, book, video or music (with headphones) will help soothe your child. Consider bringing pictures of family, friends and pets.
7. Baby needs
We provide diapers, bottles and formula. Bring a pacifier if your baby uses one or any special type of bottle, nipple or sippy cup.
8. Car seat, booster seat or seat belt
Please remember to use a car seat, booster seat (PDF) or seat belt (depending on your child's age and weight) when transporting your child.
Main Campus Visitor and Family Guide
To find out about directions, food, visiting and other hospital neighborhood services at the Seattle location, see the Main Campus Visitor and Family Guide.