Please help us emphasize the importance of pre-operative COVID-19 testing with patients and families.
We are experiencing some instances of families refusing COVID-19 testing that is required within 72 hours of their surgery or procedure at Seattle Children’s. This has resulted in canceled surgeries and unused surgical blocks. Families who have refused testing have generally done so because they face logistical hurdles in getting to a testing site or they believe COVID-19 is not real.
While refusals are a small percentage of our overall testing requests, we want every child to get the care they need when they need it without delay. We are also committed to the safety of our workforce. Read full post »
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a newly recognized illness thought to be a complication of the novel coronavirus. Seattle Children’s Clinical Standard Work Pathway provides guidance on recognition, evaluation and treatment for MIS-C.
Other Resources:
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 »
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 »
For many patients undergoing treatment for cancer, there is not just the immediate worry about beating the disease but also the longer-term prospect of surviving the harsh side effects of the drugs that saved them. Almost five years ago, On the Pulse featured a clinical trial led by Dr. Todd Cooper to study the safety and efficacy of a cancer drug called CPX-351. Cooper and his team wanted to find out if CPX-351 could help young cancer patients survive their disease without the long-term cardiac damage so often caused by other drugs. Read full post »
