Authors: Ashley Speller
In early 2023, Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) was pleased to introduce its new Governance Council, comprised of both community representatives and staff members, dedicated to providing strategic leadership that aims to achieve equity, diversity and inclusion priorities, and emerging initiatives at OBCC.
A key element of the council’s work is ensuring the needs and perspectives of the community are represented at OBCC to help inform decision-making by the clinic’s senior medical director.
“It’s an exciting time to be involved,” explained Max Hunter, Ph.D, Program Manager of Community Measurement and Innovation at OBCC, during a radio interview with The Seattle Medium. “One of the reasons we wanted to have the Governance Council is so that we move towards a more community-oriented healthcare approach where we are not only serving the community, but also working with and sharing power with the community.”
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller
Senior Medical Director of Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC), Dr. Shaquita Bell, has been awarded the 2023 Native American Child Health Advocacy Award by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Native American Child Health (CONACH).
The esteemed award is presented each year to an individual who has made significant contributions toward promoting the health and well-being of Native American children and exemplifies a lifelong commitment to Native American children and their communities.
“It is an absolute honor to be given this award,” Dr. Bell shared. “I was nominated by my mentor Dr. Joey Bell, the first Native doctor I ever met. I remember first hearing him speak about his oral health work in the tribal community of Lumbee and hoping that one day, I too could make an impact as big and important as he did. Fast forward almost 20 years, it feels unreal to be receiving this award because of his nomination.”
Read full post »
Authors: Anna Altavas
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.
Read full post »
Authors: Elizabeth Dimarco
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.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller
A child enjoys the new outdoor space at the Tiny Tots Development Center in Othello Square
A new outdoor space focused on nature-based learning is the newest addition to the 98118 ZIP code in Southeast Seattle’s Othello Square, one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the United States.
The Tiny Tots Development Center opened the first-of-its-kind outdoor classroom just before the start of the new 2022-2023 school year, funded by grants from Seattle Children’s and the PNC Foundation. The new open-air teaching space features trees, raised garden beds, natural bench seating, and hands-on activities that promote sensory-focused learning, and is part of a larger urban renewal effort in a historically underserved area with limited natural spaces.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller
A three-part series featuring the medical directors at OBCC focused on integrating care and building community together
Kari Ann Sims, DDS, MSD
This is part two of a three-part series. Last week, Dr. Kenisha Campbell was featured. Next week, On the Pulse introduces Dr. Christen Manangan.
When Dr. Kari Sims walks through the clinic doors of Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) everyday, she’s inspired by the patients and staff.
“I knew OBCC was a special place,” Dr. Sims said. “I was thrilled to have the opportunity to stay at OBCC after residency.”
Dr. Sims joined OBCC as a University of Washington pediatric dental resident and later came on board as a per diem dentist in 2014. She was appointed the dental director of OBCC in 2019 as the new Othello clinic location was taking root. From vision boards to seeing the doors open for the first time, Dr. Sims viewed it as a tremendous gift to be a part of the project and help make an impact on how the clinic would come to fruition.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller
A three-part series featuring the medical directors at OBCC focused on integrating care and building community together
Kenisha Natalie Campbell, MD
This is part one of a three-part series. Next week, meet Dr. Kari Sims and Dr. Christen Manangan.
Dr. Kenisha Campbell is the medical director of Clinical Operations at Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) and is one of the three leaders dedicated to providing equitable pediatric care to current and future generations.
As medical director of OBCC’s two locations in the Central District and Othello Square, Dr. Campbell is passionate about improving the standard of care and quality of life of the broader community, especially vulnerable populations.
Read full post »
Authors: Anna Altavas
Sickle cell disease (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, most people with SCD are of African or Hispanic heritage. However, the disease can affect anyone, especially people of southern European, Middle Eastern or Asian Indian heritage.
Seattle Children’s and Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) team have been treating patients with SCD for more than two decades. In that time, many lessons have been learned and as a result a new integrated Center of Excellence has been created for the care of patients with SCD at the hospital campus and at OBCC Othello, led by the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and OBCC. As part of this Center of Excellence, a roadmap of program enhancements are in place to make progress towards improving and growing the Seattle Children’s Sickle Cell Disease Program to better serve patients with SCD and their families.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller
Shaquita L Bell, MD of Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic
Dr. Shaquita Bell, Senior Medical Director of Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC), has been awarded 2022 Physician of the Year by the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) for her longstanding commitment to the individual and collective health of Indigenous and multi-racial children and impact within her community.
The distinguished award was presented to Dr. Bell ahead of the AAIP’s Annual Meeting and National Health Conference which brings together healthcare professionals, policy makers and community tribal members to discuss the pressing health concerns of American Indian/Alaska Natives across the nation.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller
Children between the age of 6 months and 4 years old are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. For families who have long awaited the opportunity to vaccinate this age group, it’s a sigh of relief.
“It provides another layer of protection that we have been seeking for a long time now,” parent Michael Bamshad told KOMO news while attending Seattle Children’s vaccine clinic with his 4-year-old daughter Marlowe. “Everyone else has had the opportunity to get vaccinated and now it’s time for kids under five.”
For other parents with babies and toddlers, many are wondering what side effects to look out for with smaller children who cannot yet verbalize how they feel post-shot.
To help answer the most common vaccine questions, Dr. Surabhi (Sara) Vora, an Associate Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and an Infectious Disease Physician at Seattle Children’s and Dr. Janet Englund, a Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Disease Specialist at Seattle Children’s shared some expert insight.
Read full post »
