What to Expect

Heart Center Clinic

How can we get ready for our visit?

You most likely have many questions about how to prepare for your child’s visit to Seattle Children’s Heart Center Clinic. Learn more about your child's clinic visit, including:

Where should we go?

Use 1 of the Ocean entrances. Take an Ocean elevator to level 6.

Check in at the Ocean 6 entrance desk. For patient and family safety, we will ask you for photo identification at the entrance desk. The greeter will make a temporary pass for you to wear during your visit.

Our greeters will then send you to register your child at the Ocean 6 registration desk.

What happens during our first visit?

  • During registration, your child will get a wristband for identification and safety.
  • We will give you an iPad to use to answer questions about your child’s health.
  • Please bring a complete list of your child’s current medicines or the actual medicine bottles. The list should include the medicine name, dose and how often your child takes it. Interpreters can help you with this, if needed.
  • Next, your child may have an echocardiogram. If your child needs this test, they may have it at the beginning of their visit or after seeing their heart doctor. A sonographer does echocardiograms in the Heart Center Clinic.
  • You will then go into an exam room. A nurse or medical assistant (MA) will check your child’s height, weight and vital signs (blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate and respiratory rate).
  • Next, you will meet with a heart doctor (pediatric cardiologist) for a complete evaluation. You will spend 15 to 30 minutes with the doctor talking about your child’s and family’s health history. The doctor will listen to your child’s heart and lungs and check their pulse, skin color and nailbeds.
  • As part of the visit, your child may need to have an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). The MA will do the ECG in the Heart Center Clinic.
  • If your child has an echocardiogram or ECG as part of a clinic visit, your child’s heart doctor will review the results and give them to you during the visit.

Meet the Heart Center team.

What happens after the visit?

You will receive an After Visit Summary at the end of the visit. This tells you what happened during the clinic visit and next steps. If your child needs to come to our clinic for follow-up visits, we can schedule your next visit before you leave the clinic or you can call the Heart Center at 206-987-2515 to schedule.

Contact Us

Contact the Heart Center at 206-987-2015 for a referral, a second opinion or more information.

Providers, see how to refer a patient

Paying for Care

Learn about paying for care at Seattle Children’s, including insurance coverage, billing and financial assistance.