A special bulletin of Provider News was sent on Monday, May 2 with the following information. We are including it here again for those who may have missed it:

Measles Mimics: Please Call Us When Sending a Patient With Possible Measles

  • We have had a number of patients present to our Emergency Department (ED) and Urgent Care (UC) with possible measles. While we are not seeing an increase in measles cases, an unidentified patient or family member with measles can have a huge impact on our facilities. These have caused the closures of our urgent care clinics and ED waiting rooms at times. Confirmed measles cases have resulted in the exposure and the need for immunizations or immunoglobulin for patients who are unvaccinated or severely immunocompromised.
  • If you suspect measles and are sending a patient for evaluation, please call first at 206-987-8899 so we can provide a safe way to enter a room and be evaluated without impacting other patients. Please also advise the family to wait in their car and call us on arrival.

COVID-19 Updates: Puget Sound Region Is Experiencing High Transmission

Hospital Occupancy Remains High

  • Seattle Children’s and other hospitals in the region continue to run at extremely high occupancy.  Visits to the Emergency Department and Urgent Care are higher than in the past 2 years.  We continue to utilize rapid triage, tents, lobbies, converted storerooms and other alternate spaces to provide care.

Mental Health/Behavioral Health

  • The crisis in pediatric mental health continues regionally and nationally.  Seattle Children’s is continuing to see large numbers of patients needing this care.  We continue to require use of the emergency department and a satellite boarding area for patients waiting for inpatient beds or disposition.

COVID-19 Resources for Providers