Keeping New Families Together, Closer to Home

Welcoming a new baby to your family is one of the biggest life-changing events there is. It’s a time filled with bonding, learning and celebration. But sometimes, shortly after birth, family members need to be separated amongst two hospitals so the newborn can receive a higher level of expert care.

Earlier this summer, Seattle Children’s and EvergreenHealth formed a strategic affiliation bringing specialized neonatal and pediatric care to communities in east King and Snohomish counties. Read on to learn how this collaboration can positively impact you or your friends and family living in those areas.

What does this collaboration mean for east King and Snohomish County families? 

The presence of more specialized, expert care for newborns and young children on the Eastside will allow many families to avoid the need to travel to Seattle Children’s hospital campus. This helps avoid the time, stress and cost of travel, and most importantly, keeps family members together, closer to their home, with their supportive community nearby.

Picture this scenario – you’ve given birth at EvergreenHealth and your baby requires specialized care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The NICU team’s assessment reveals that your baby requires more advanced care or a consultation with a specialist. In the past, your baby may have been transported to Seattle Children’s Hospital in Seattle while you stayed behind at EvergreenHealth to recover from labor and delivery. But with this collaboration in place, it may mean that your baby can receive higher-level care, using the same care guidelines, right where you are.

What a relief to be near your baby as they face health challenges in their early days. And how helpful to have other family members and neighbors nearby, able to provide in-person comfort and support.

More on the affiliation between EvergreenHealth and Seattle Children’s

Since 2006, Seattle Children’s hospitalists have staffed EvergreenHealth’s inpatient pediatric unit. Now, as a result of this affiliation, EvergreenHealth’s 43-bed NICU and 13-bed inpatient pediatric unit will provide advanced care and treatments to newborns and young children, backed by the expertise and protocols of Seattle Children’s. In addition, with access to Seattle Children’s specialists, more babies who are premature, experience complications during birth or are born with an issue at birth, will benefit from compassionate care and better outcomes while remaining closer to home.

What types of supports and treatments are available?

When a baby has an issue, like needing extra feeding support, is having trouble regulating their blood sugar or is experiencing breathing problems, expert care is available. Cardiology services have already been expanded. And early this fall, remote neurology consultations will be available along with newborn cooling therapy, which is for babies who have experienced a brain injury from not receiving enough oxygen or blood flow around the time of birth. This treatment allows the brain to recover and reduces the chance of neurological complications.

Additional services will become available over time, allowing more families to access advanced pediatric care in east King and Snohomish counties. Seattle Children’s campus in Seattle is available for care that can’t be provided at EvergreenHealth.

“We’re thrilled to be serving Eastside families through our new agreement,” said Seattle Children’s President and Chief Operating Officer Jamie Phillips. “By expanding access to Seattle Children’s pediatric specialists, families from Snohomish to Bothell to Bellevue and beyond can access exceptional care right in their own communities, making it more convenient and comfortable for them.”

From left to right: Ettore Pallazo, MD, FACP, EvergreenHealth CEO; Chris Bredeson, MBA, FACHE, EvergreenHealth COO; Tessi Foley, MN, RN, EvergreenHealth Director, Women and Children’s Services; Jamie Phillips, MHA, FACHE, Seattle Children’s President and COO; Howard Jeffries, Seattle Children’s Senior Medical Director, Regional Network Strategy and Development