December 28, 2022:
Seattle Children’s has temporarily closed the second floor of the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) Othello to repair water damage from a fire that occurred on December 19th on the floor above the clinic. OBCC Othello is located inside the Orenda at Othello Square building.
- OBCC’s first floor was not impacted which means Dental and Rehab appointments at OBCC Othello will continue as normal.
- Medical appointments which normally would take place on the second floor are being rescheduled as telehealth visits or in some cases as in-person appointments at either the main hospital campus or South Clinic in Federal Way.
- We are contacting affected families to reschedule their appointments.
- Families with questions may call OBCC at 206-987-7210.
We apologize for this unforeseen event and are doing everything we can to get the clinic’s second floor repaired and re-opened as soon as possible. For more information, please contact physician.relations@seattlechildrens.org.
Learn more about OBCC.
Washington state is currently experiencing a large RSV wave that is impacting a broad age range of children, with a disproportionate impact on children under the age of 2. Influenza activity in Washington State is now very high and other viruses are circulating also. The strain on hospital capacity is creating a critical situation for pediatric care in our state.
The situation at Seattle Children’s
- Seattle Children’s has been experiencing record-setting census for inpatients, intensive care units (ICUs) and the Emergency Department (ED). Our capacity situation is critical.
- Our ED is operating at 100% capacity almost around the clock, and up to 300% capacity in the evenings. We expect ED volumes to increase over the next several months.
- We are rescheduling nonurgent admissions; surgical cases are being reviewed for need to admit, level of care and/or ability to safely remain in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). Outpatient procedures and other-day surgery cases are not being screened at this time because they don’t impact inpatient capacity.
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An innovative new outpatient space for the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center (CBDC) and Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program officially opened this week on two floors of Seattle Children’s newest building called Forest B. It nearly doubles CBDC’s clinical outpatient capacity to help Seattle Children’s meet the growing need for pediatric services in the region.The physical and operational design of the new space reflects Seattle Children’s commitment to a patient care model that brings complex care teams together in a single location, with the patient at the center.
“Our model of care sets us apart from any other program in the country,” said Dr. Mignon Loh, division chief of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy at Seattle Children’s and director of the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. “It’s a new paradigm, and it shows how Seattle Children’s is at the forefront of improving the patient experience.”
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Seattle Children’s Autism Center is now offering a fast-track program for children and teens already diagnosed with autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders and who are struggling with psychiatric or behavioral concerns.
The program offers short-term evaluation and consultation to identify appropriate treatment options. Patients are then returned to their community provider with written recommendations for their ongoing mental health management, which may include medication and/or therapy. See “What to expect” below for more details on patient hand-off.
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Seattle Children’s recently created two new algorithms to support PCPs’ care of their patients:
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Seattle Children’s Fetal Care and Treatment Center expanded in October 2021 to offer fetal intervention and surgery. Dr. Bettina Paek and Dr. Martin Walker co-direct the surgery program with Dr. Rebecca Stark and are specialists in using fetoscopic laser ablation for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). They have some of the highest survival rates in the United States.
From Seattle Children’s On the Pulse:
Katie and Nic Harmston were distraught as they drove to Kaiser for an ultrasound in July 2021.
Katie was six and a half weeks pregnant but was experiencing symptoms of a miscarriage. They both feared the worst.The Harmstons held their breath as the ultrasound began.
After a moment, the sonographer smiled and said, “We have a heartbeat.” Katie and Nic were nearly overwhelmed with relief. Then the sonographer said something unexpected.
“Hold on — there are two heartbeats!”
“We were shocked to find out it was twins,” Katie says. “I just started crying and laughing.”
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Tips to help your patients get their labs in the most timely, convenient way:
Tip 1: Use the correct fax number to submit lab orders. The vast majority of lab orders should go to our central lab fax, 206-985-3193, but there are a few exceptions. Knowing about them will help your order be processed without delay.
| Orders |
Fax # |
Note |
Orders for new collections
(See Exceptions below) |
Fax 206-985-3193 |
Ninety-nine percent of all lab requests will use this number.
|
|
Exceptions:
-
- Sweat chloride test
- Oral glucose tolerance test
- Breath tolerance test
- Platelet aggregation test
|
Fax 206-985-3124 |
These procedures require families to have an appointment with the laboratory (no walk-ins). We will call the family to schedule. |
Add-on orders
(Collection already done but patient needs additional tests) |
Fax 206-987-2631 |
|
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Seattle Children’s began work last fall to replace Code Purple (a code meant to initiate a de-escalation response when all other interventions to manage behaviors that put people at risk for injury or harm have been unsuccessful).
Replacing Code Purple was critical because it has routinely been used inequitably on Black and African American patients and families.
The new system, called Adaptive Social Response, was created in partnership with families, community leaders and workforce members. Adaptive Social Response provides support tailored for the specific need of a patient, family member or care team member, including specialized support to address issues of equity or discrimination. There is also a pathway specific to addressing violence/threat of violence.
Adaptive Social Response will be launched at the hospital campus and Springbrook Professional Center in early January 2023. Code Purple will no longer be used from that point onward.
Providers looking for more information about the changes to Code Purple at Seattle Children’s may contact behavioralresponse@seattlechildrens.org.
Medical Staff
Jennifer Bracamontes, MD, Endocrinology
Carlos Castillo Pinto, MD, Neurology
Melissa Hathaway, MD, Medicine
Kevin Keith, MD, Emergency-Urgent Care
Brenda Kitchen, MD, Hematology-Oncology
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