Seattle Children’s bold new initiative to address the growing youth mental health crisis, called Generation REACH, makes a long-term commitment to youth mental and behavioral health as an inextricable part of child health. Dr. Jeff Ojemann talks more about what Generation REACH aspires to do and what it’s already accomplishing today.
The pandemic has exacerbated an existing mental health crisis. How is that showing up at Seattle Children’s?
Jeff Ojemann
Dr. Ojemann: We began seeing a large increase in mental health–related ED visits, particularly for suicidality, last summer and a huge increase in eating disorders. That was followed by reports in the fall of a 30% increase in the suicide rate among Seattle-area youth.
The Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine team responded to the increased demand with a quick pivot to telehealth for about 90% of visits, increased crisis clinic capacity and coordination with community EDs to help avoid inpatient admissions when possible. Read full post »
Dr. Randall Bly is an assistant professor of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery through the University of Washington School of Medicine, and the co-director of the Cranial Base Program at Seattle Children’s. With a background in mechanical engineering, he also serves as adjunct faculty through the UW College of Engineering. Bly leads a group of surgeon-scientists and engineers at the BioRobotics lab in designing cutting-edge innovations in surgery.
How common are microtia and aural atresia?
Randall Bly
Dr. Bly: Microtia is a small or absent ear. About 1 in 5,000 babies are born with it annually in the United States. In most cases, it is only on one side. Seventy percent of these children also lack an ear canal (called aural atresia).
We don’t know what causes microtia in most cases. Sometimes it’s genetic, but no specific gene has been identified. In some cases, it’s related to maternal diabetes during pregnancy, exposure to high doses of vitamin A, or a mother’s use of Accutane (isotretinoin) during pregnancy. Read full post »
Seattle Children’s is excited to introduce the Cerebral Palsy Program, a new offering for children with cerebral palsy and their families. We have a multidisciplinary team that offers the right services at the right time, including not just medical treatment but the education and support families need to be their child’s best advocate.
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have long been seen by providers at Seattle Children’s, but the new program expands the services we can provide. Our dedicated staff of specialists, surgeons, therapists, social workers, nurses and administrators will work as a single, coordinated team to offer high-quality, standards-based care tailored to each patient’s unique needs, with access to the equipment and therapies that can help children live their healthiest life possible. Read full post »
Dr. Mignon Loh – New Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Division Chief and BTCCCR Center Director
Message from Dr. Leslie Walker-Harding, chair, University of Washington School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics; senior vice president and chief academic officer, Seattle Children’s
I am thrilled to announce that on Dec. 1 Dr. Mignon Loh will join the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics as division chief of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy. In this role, she will provide clinical leadership at Seattle Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and research leadership as center director of the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research (BTCCCR) at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Loh will also serve as professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the UW School of Medicine, as well as head of the Section of Pediatric Oncology at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Fred Hutch). Read full post »
Dismantling overpolicing and systems that may result in overpolicing of people of color at Seattle Children’s is critical to protecting the health and safety and minimizing trauma for Black, Indigenous and People of Color patients, families and communities. It’s one of the five pillars of our Anti-Racism Organizational Change and Accelerated EDI Plan.
Following the work in April 2021 of a multidisciplinary group that examined how Seattle Children’s engages with law enforcement, a policy has been created to guide workforce members on how and when to appropriately engage law enforcement at Seattle Children’s. Over the coming months, our related policies will be updated and our teams will receive training.
The official Seattle Children’s App is now available in English and Spanish. The app, created by Seattle Children’s, helps families quickly connect to MyChart, find and contact services to support their child and family, access our interpreter services, and use turn-by-turn directions to navigate the hospital.
Families can download the app today from the Apple App or Google Play stores.
When referring your patients to Seattle Children’s, please share this information by giving them our family flyer about the new app (Spanish version).
“Return to Sports After COVID-19: A Practical Guide to Safe Play PLUS Post-Vaccine Perimyocarditis,” July 22, 2021 from 6 to 7 p.m. (Webex). Presented by Josiah Penalver, MD and Matthew Studer, MD, Seattle Children’s Cardiology. Category 2 CME credit. RSVP to physician.relations@seattlechildrens.org.
“Pushing the Limits: Children, Athletics and Ethics,” July 23 and 24, 2021. 16th Annual Pediatric Bioethics Conference hosted by the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics. Join a distinguished group of bioethicists for challenging and illuminating presentations and discussions exploring the complex questions this topic raises. To learn more and register, visit the Pediatric Bioethics Conference website. The registration deadline is July 20. Read full post »
