Seattle Children’s and EvergreenHealth Kirkland Introduce Additional Services, Enhancing Neonatal and Pediatric Care Closer to Home

As announced, on July 1, EvergreenHealth and Seattle Children’s entered a strategic affiliation to enhance access to specialized inpatient pediatric and neonatal care in the region.

This strengthened partnership ensures that we are prepared to meet increased demand with shared clinical standard work pathways, enhanced capabilities and expanded specialty services in EvergreenHealth’s 43-bed NICU and 13-bed inpatient pediatric unit. This additional capacity and shared protocols help both teams support more patients and provide high-quality, specialized care.

We have already begun providing specialty services, starting with enhanced inpatient consultations and diagnostics for cardiology patients, as well as the launch of a therapeutic hypothermia program and remote neurology consultations for patients admitted to EvergreenHealth’s NICU. With enhanced cardiology services and advanced neonatal care now available closer to home, families have access to expert care without the added stress of transfers and/or longer commutes for families.

EvergreenHealth’s Inclusion in Mission Control

Seattle Children’s Mission Control and EvergreenHealth have established a process to triage potential transfers to ensure appropriate patients are directed to EvergreenHealth for admission, especially when it can keep them closer to home. Additionally, pediatric patients seen in an EvergreenHealth ED can be admitted to the EvergreenHealth inpatient pediatric unit, if clinically appropriate. This increases access to excellent pediatric care for more of our families and communities.

This increased access for more families and communities is also highlighted through the proactive efforts to provide timely care during the upcoming viral season.

This affiliation helps ensure that our teams at Seattle Children’s and EvergreenHealth are best equipped to handle anticipated surges in pediatric respiratory illness and other seasonal viruses. Patients who meet clinical criteria for admission at EvergreenHealth will be directed there whenever appropriate, especially if it’s closer to home, allowing us to maximize inpatient capacity across both campuses. This collaboration should help alleviate capacity restraints due to viral surges and allow patients to be seen more quickly.

Ongoing Commitment

Looking ahead, Seattle Children’s and EvergreenHealth are planning for continued expansion of services to better serve the evolving needs of our community. This approach ensures that children receive the right care, in the right setting, while maintaining close coordination between providers.

For more information: Read the Seattle Children’s Press Release for additional information about this affiliation.