General

It has been a monumental year since the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) Othello location opened its doors to patient families in March 2022 near the Othello Link light rail station in southeast Seattle’s Rainier Valley.

Since then, the clinic has provided quality care with dignity to more than 40,000 patients in the community through its innovative, integrated approach where services including pediatric medical care, behavioral health, dental services, nutrition, sports medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, x-ray and imaging and much more, all available under the same roof at the same appointment, if needed.

Many community-oriented events and key milestones have taken place in the year since the clinic opened. On the Pulse shares a look back and what’s to come.

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Medicines can do a lot of good, but they can cause harm if they get in the wrong hands or are used the wrong way. This is true for both prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

To be sure that medicines are both safe and effective, it’s crucial to follow dosing and safety rules.

On the Pulse shares important reminders and resources for parents and caregivers to help keep kids safe and healthy all year long.

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When Jen Campbell watches 10-year-old Hannah step on the soccer field, she’s filled with immense pride.

“I’m very blessed to have kids who want to play sports because that’s an outlet for them,” she explained. “Not only an outlet physically, but also emotionally and socially.”

The busy mom of four not only shuffles practice, tournaments and school, but also medical appointments at Seattle Children’s North Clinic in Everett, Wash., a regional clinic with pediatric specialists in more than 25 practice areas that provides care for families closer to home.

When Campbell’s daughter Hannah was born, she was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, a problem stemming from the heart’s electrical activity which causes an irregular heart rhythm, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle.

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In July 2021, Kaelyn, a seemingly healthy, happy 10-month-old, woke up one morning with a puffy face. Her parents, Christine and Jerome, assumed she was having an allergic reaction. They took her to the nearest hospital in their hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, where she underwent various tests to determine the cause.

In the hospital, Kaelyn’s condition deteriorated, and she was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where Christine and Jerome learned their daughter’s heart function was severely diminished and she had little chance of survival without major intervention.

Kaelyn was born with left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy – a condition in which the lower left heart chamber doesn’t develop properly – that went undetected throughout pregnancy and her first 10 months of life.

Kaelyn was placed on life support for five days before she was transferred to Seattle Children’s. Christine and Jerome left their jobs in Honolulu behind and flew to Seattle with just one suitcase each, having no idea how long they would stay.

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Seattle Children’s welcomes Francesca Vega as its new vice president of External Affairs to lead the organization’s community and government relations work.

Vega joined Seattle Children’s on Feb. 27 and brings extensive expertise in advocacy and building coalitions and relationships with governments and community groups.

On the Pulse sat down with Vega to share more about her past experiences and upcoming plans to get to know Seattle Children’s and the community.

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Dr. Alicia Henriquez provides care for Seattle Children’s patient, Manny

For families caring for children with nervous system disorders, compassionate, state-of-the-art care is sometimes out of reach.

When Dr. Alicia Henriquez, a clinical assistant professor of Neurology in Seattle Children’s Neurosciences Center, joined the organization two years ago, she hoped to be part of a team that would change that.

“I wanted to work with the Spanish-speaking community and with the regional clinics because in Eastern Washington there’s a large population of Spanish speakers,” Dr. Henriquez, who specializes in pediatric neuromuscular neurology and is multilingual, explained. “I knew it would be a good fit.”

Seattle Children’s has specialty regional clinics around the state, including Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way, Olympia, Tri-Cities and Wenatchee, and works closely with local healthcare providers to meet the needs of families in their home community.

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Emme, a Seattle Children’s Eating Disorders Recovery Program patient, shares her “lifelong journey” to recovery

Seattle Children’s Eating Disorders Recovery Program diagnoses and treats children and teens with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders.

In this edition of On the Pulse, 19-year-old Emme shares her personal experience at Seattle Children’s – from diagnosis to ongoing recovery, and the lessons learned along the way.

Content warning: The following article describes a patient’s journey with an eating disorder and may be difficult for some to read.

We encourage readers to prioritize their own mental and emotional needs in reading this story. Resources have been provided following the article.

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Enjoli Harris, patient scheduler for Seattle Children’s Sickle Cell Program and “sickle cell mom” with her son, Nehemiah

When patients and families with sickle cell disease (SCD) call Seattle Children’s to schedule appointments, they are greeted by the friendly voice of Enjoli Harris, who is a skilled member of the SCD patient scheduling team and a “sickle cell mom.”

Harris’ youngest child, Nehemiah, was diagnosed with SCD at birth almost 12 years ago and has been receiving care at Seattle Children’s, including at the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC), ever since. The frequent visits have helped Harris not only empathize with the concerns of families, but also better navigate their scheduling needs.

SCD is a group of blood conditions that affect hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells in the body. In the United States, approximately 100,000 Americans are affected by SCD, most of whom are of African or Hispanic heritage, however the disease can affect anyone, especially people of southern European, Middle Eastern or Asian Indian heritage.

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For parents with children or teens who are having problems at home or at school for more than six months due to trouble with attention, learning or behavior, understanding if it’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a related disorder, is important.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder and is the most common mental health disorder during childhood. It can be effectively treated in most cases, and improvement happens most quickly with the combination of medicines and behavior therapy.

With ADHD affecting up to 10% of the population, parents and caregivers of adolescents diagnosed with ADHD often have many questions. To help answer some of those most commonly asked, On the Pulse spoke with Dr. Erin Gonzalez, Co-Director of the Behavior and Attention Management Program in Seattle Children’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department.

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For some parents and caregivers with school-aged children, scheduled breaks throughout the academic year are a chance to kick back and relax while enjoying quality time without being on a tight, daily schedule.

For many kids in the region, mid-winter break is here, and spring break is only a few months away. Though well-intentioned, interrupted routines can sometimes impact behaviors or cause stress in both children and adults alike.

“In general, we all do better with routines in day-to-day life,” explained Dr. Mollie Grow, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s. “Structured routines help parents regulate the emotional and functional changes their children undergo as they develop. Routines help children know what to expect as they go through these changes.”

Dr. Grow spoke with On the Pulse to share recommendations to help maintain a sense of structure in the household ahead of the upcoming breaks.

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