Meet Your Team
Seattle Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Our NICU care team has special training working with critically ill newborns and their families. We will work with you to make decisions and treatment plans for your baby.
The care team in Seattle Children’s NICU includes:
- Neonatologists (doctors specializing in newborn care)
- Neonatal nurse practitioners and physician assistants
- Nurses
- Respiratory therapists
- Pharmacists
- Dietitians
- Physical and occupational therapists
- Social workers
- Lactation Services
The NICU team works closely with Seattle Children's pediatric surgeons, cardiac intensivists, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists, neurologists, pulmonologists, nephrologists, geneticists and other specialists to provide coordinated care for newborns with complex problems. Learn more about the different roles on your child's healthcare team.
Leadership
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Medical Director, Seattle Children's Hospital NICU; Medical Director, Infant Ground Transport Program, Seattle Children's Hospital; Co-Director, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) Program
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Associate Medical Director, Seattle Children's NICU
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Director of Quality, Neonatology Regional Network Site Sponsor, Children's Hospitals Neonatal Consortium
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Catherine Wagner, RN, BSN, NICU clinical practice manager
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Erin Peters, NICU clinical practice manager
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APP Director
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Karen Kelly, MN, RN, clinical nurse specialist
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Lynn Lingen, BSN, RN, RNC-NIC, NICU educator
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Lori Chudnofsky, NICU director
Team
Neonatologists in Seattle Children’s NICU
Our Neonatologists at Affiliate Hospitals’ NICUs
We provide care for sick newborns in the NICUs at the University of Washington, Providence Regional Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, CHI Franciscan Health, Highline Medical Center and UW Medicine Valley Medical Center. These include:
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
Seattle Children's neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners and physician assistants also care for patients at CHI Franciscan Health, Providence Regional Medical Center and UW Medicine Northwest Hospital and Medical Center. The leaders and their medical director partners of that program are:
UW Medicine Northwest Hospital and Medical Center
Seattle Children's Hospital
CHI Franciscan Health
UW Medicine Valley Medical Center
Critical Care Transport
Our Critical Care Transport program partners with Airlift Northwest to provide the specialized care needed to safely transport critically ill infants by ground or air. We transport more than 600 newborn patients each year. A NICU nurse and a respiratory therapist always ride along with the newborn on critical care transports. This team is in frequent contact with a neonatologist throughout the transport process to ensure the highest quality of patient care. The leaders of the Critical Care Transport program who specialize in transporting newborns and infants are:
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Chris Baker, nurse manager, Critical Care Transport Services
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Leaders in improving patient care and outcomes
Our faculty hold national leadership and research roles that strengthen our patient care and outcomes. Both of these leaders work with the HEAL trial and other clinical research on improving brain development in premature babies.
Neonatal Advance Practice Providers (APP)
Seattle Children’s Neonatal APPs partner with neonatologists to provide excellent care across the greater Seattle region. APPs include advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNP) and physician assistants (PAs) who have specialty training for complex care of newborns. Neonatal APPs are present in the Seattle Children’s NICU, along with all the affiliated NICUs. Neonatal APPs are able to diagnosis, treat, and provide medications, while also providing support to families during critical moments.
- Learn more about research and advances.
Learn more about your baby’s trip to the NICU (video 5:10)
Neonatal Outreach
The Neonatal Outreach Program provides education and consultation for community healthcare professionals to increase awareness of our neonatal services and ensure that babies get their best possible start in life.
