On Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, Seattle Children’s will transition from using both Epic and Cerner to exclusively utilizing Epic. This change will provide one integrated system for providers, patients and families. The transition to Epic aligns with what community health systems are using in Washington state.
Currently, referring providers have access to electronic medical records via the Pediatric Health Information Network (PHIN). Additionally, providers have submitted electronic referrals via Epic (eReferral). Moving forward, providers will be able to access medical records and submit referrals in one place through EpicCare Link. Read full post »
The Biofeedback program at Seattle Children’s has produced two new videos to explain what biofeedback is and how the program works. They are ideal for both patients and providers to learn more about the therapy. “We find many patients are interested in biofeedback, but may not follow through on getting started because of anxiety about what’s involved or perhaps there is a lack of understanding of how it can help them,” says Dr. Seth Enos. “It’s a tremendously powerful therapy. We want patients and families to understand how it can help and feel encouraged to try it.” Read full post »
Seattle Children’s has posted new information for community providers about the services available at our regional clinics in Everett, Federal Way and Bellevue, including a list of specialties offered and providers seeing patients at each clinic, how frequently they are there and the specific services offered.
Please note that services and schedules are subject to change.
The Ophthalmology Program is temporarily instituting additional limits on referrals, as outlined in “Criteria for new patients” below. Telehealth is generally not a suitable option for eye appointments, and the new referral criteria will help us prioritize in-person appointments for patients with the most urgent needs who cannot find equivalent care in the community. Wait times at Seattle Children’s are currently about five months; patients with urgent needs will be seen in a timely manner.
To help community providers find eye care for their patients who cannot be seen here, we offer a list of optometrists and ophthalmologists throughout Washington state who see children, including, in most cases, those with disabilities or special needs. More information about referring to Ophthalmology is found on our website.
We are pleased to share that for the 28th year in a row, Seattle Children’s is recognized as one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals — and the number-one pediatric hospital in the Northwest — in U.S. News & World Report. Hospitals are ranked based on outcomes and quality-related information, including success in managing patients, commitment to best practices, recognition as a Nurse Magnet hospital, active fellowship programs and the availability of specialty care. This important designation distinguishes Seattle Children’s as one of the top places in the nation providing care for children.
See more details about Seattle Children’s rankings.
Seattle Children’s is increasing in-person appointments and is ready to see your patients. To partner with and support PCPs, we are continuing to update our referral guidelines and resources including many new algorithms to help assess and manage patients’ conditions. Learn more.
Our Capacity
- ALL Seattle Children’s locations are open for in-person appointments, with just two exceptions: Outpatient Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Clinic at Overlake and South Sound Cardiology (SSC) in Centralia are still temporarily closed (SSC Federal Way, Silverdale and Tacoma are open).
- We are returning to normal ambulatory volumes. We expect to be back to 80+% of our normal ambulatory volumes by the end of June and hope to further expand capacity in the following months.
- Our Urgent Cares are open and have capacity, both for appointments and COVID-19 testing. Patients can schedule an appointment online or just walk in.
- We are encouraging families to get the care they need, either in-person or through telehealth appointments. We are proactively contacting families to schedule new and follow-up visits, but also encourage families to contact us to schedule since we often are unable to reach them.
Read full post »
We are writing to acknowledge the tragic acts of violence and racism happening across our country.
The senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and George Floyd in Minnesota leave us sickened and heartbroken. While we share our grief with these families and their communities, we must also acknowledge with sorrow our region’s own history of racially motivated violence, discrimination, and marginalization.
These recent events are set against the backdrop and acute pain of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted communities of color in the United States. Added to the burden of this crisis are the magnifying health and economic disparities, which are due to systemic racism and social injustices that have existed for far too long across generations.
These are the moments we cannot be silent—and Seattle Children’s will speak out, oppose racism, and advance our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. We are all affected negatively when one part of our community is burdened by racism and violence, and we are all part of the solution. Read full post »
Seattle Children’s is now processing all COVID-19 tests in-house. Turnaround times are as follows:
- If your patient uses the Sand Point Learning Center drive-through testing site, you will receive same-day results.
- If your patient uses a regional urgent care clinic, you will receive results the same day or by 10 a.m. the next day. Samples that do not make same-day runs in microbiology will be on the 6 a.m. run the following day. (The last run of each day is at 6 p.m.)
As a reminder, we will send test results only to the referring provider, not to patient families directly (except for tests ordered by Seattle Children’s). Find more details about our community testing on our COVID-19 testing page.
COVID-19 Testing Update as of Tuesday, June 2: we have tested 4,224 patients, with 39 positive and 9 inconclusive, for an overall positivity rate of 1.1%.
Read full post »
The Neurodevelopmental program has updated its referral guidelines to clarify what services the clinic does and doesn’t offer and how best to refer patients for a successful first visit. Current wait times for first appointments are approximately six months.
Neurodevelopmental hopes its new referral guidelines will help patients to be seen in a timelier manner and be directed to the provider at Seattle Children’s or elsewhere who will best meet their needs. They stress the importance of submitting a referral that is complete in order to help the family’s first visit go smoothly and be as productive as possible. A complete referral includes the following documents, when available:
- Therapy reports (occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech) and early intervention notes
- Questionnaires (M-CHAT, Ages and Stages, Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale and other applicable rating scales and/or questionnaires)
- School records or notes, individualized education plan (IEP) or testing results, developmental assessments
- Brain imaging reports
Read full post »
1. Pre-operative Testing at Seattle Children’s: What Happens When Patients Live Far Away or Cannot Get Tested in Time
We are screening all pre-operative patients for COVID-19. This includes patients who will have a procedure in an operating room and those who need anesthesia in Radiology. Families who have a procedure or surgery scheduled receive a reminder call 72 hours before surgery from the pre-procedure nurses. These tests need to be collected 24 to 72 hours prior to surgery and are being offered at our drive-through testing location at our Sand Point Learning Center (SPLC) north of the hospital, or during an in-person appointment at one of our four urgent care locations in Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way and Seattle. Learn more about testing at Seattle Children’s.
When 24 Hour Tests are Necessary
Requests for testing within 24 hours may come up for cases that are added last minute. These families can come to Seattle to have their testing performed within the 24 hour period. Results from external facilities should be faxed to the Seattle Children’s Pre-Anesthesia COVID-19 testing line at 206-987-2060 by 5 p.m. the day before procedure.
We understand that timely testing is not widely available outside the Seattle area. Perioperative Services will be working with families traveling from further away to help coordinate early arrival to the Seattle area to allow testing. Read full post »
