“Forest B is a critical addition to Seattle Children’s, given our region’s incredible historic and anticipated growth,” said Mandy Hansen, senior director of planning, design, and construction at Seattle Children’s. “The building gives our care teams the space they need to provide lifesaving and life-changing treatments, surgeries and procedures to even more patients in the coming years. The thoughtful design will also help us integrate more of our breakthrough research into the clinical care environment as we tirelessly work toward cures.”
With eight floors above ground, one below ground and three levels of underground parking, patients visiting the new building will experience:
- Eight new operating rooms (ORs)
- Two catheterization labs
- 20 additional inpatient rooms
- New outpatient clinical space for the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center (CBDC)
- Outpatient infusion center
- Additional retail pharmacy and new inpatient pharmacy
- New laboratory space and new sterile processing space
In addition to allowing Seattle Children’s to care for more patients, Forest B was also designed to support transformative, patient-centered care. For children and families, that means starting and ending their journey with ease so they can focus on the care and not the process; providing time and space to decompress and take a breath when they walk through the front door; and having access to the right amenities in the right locations without being overwhelmed with information. For providers and care teams, it means optimizing the work environment so they can focus on patient care and having dedicated amenities and respite spaces so they can step away and recharge. Read full post »
New “Forest B” Building Features More In-Patient and Operating Rooms, Cancer and Blood Disorders Care Facilities and more
On June 1st, Seattle Children’s opens the latest addition to the hospital campus — a building called “Forest B.” Forest B is a project over 10 years in the making and will add an additional 310,000 square feet of space to the hospital campus.
“Forest B is a critical addition to Seattle Children’s, given our region’s incredible historic and anticipated growth,” said Mandy Hansen, senior director of planning, design, and construction at Seattle Children’s. “The building gives our care teams the space they need to provide lifesaving and life-changing treatments, surgeries and procedures to even more patients in the coming years. The thoughtful design will also help us integrate more of our breakthrough research into the clinical care environment as we tirelessly work toward cures.” Read full post »
Seattle Children’s Dr. Jennifer Bauer received prestigious award from POSNA for “Spine at Risk” Safety Program
Competition is steep to receive a research grant from the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA), including the once-a-year awarded Quality, Safety, and Value Initiative (QSVI) Grant. This grant encourages the creation and implementation of quality and patient safety programming, and applicants must go through a rigorous multiple-tiered review process for the reward.
Seattle Children’s is thrilled that this year’s 2022 QSVI Grant Winner is Dr. Jennifer Bauer, Chief of Spine Surgery at Seattle Children’s hospital. Bauer was award this grant for her innovative work on the Spine at Risk Safety Program, which was done in partnership with co-investigators and Seattle Children’s spine partners Drs. Burt Yaszay, Wally Krengel and Klane White.
The Spine at Risk Program is a unique Seattle Children’s safety program run by a team of orthopedic and neurosurgery spine providers that ensures that all patients undergoing anesthesia will have appropriate precautions taken to make sure their spine and spinal cord remain safe while asleep. The program has helped protect our patients behind the scenes for over ten years at Seattle Children’s.
With this additional funding, Bauer and her team will continue to progress on previously published and internationally recognized research on the Spine at Risk Safety Program to improve its efficiency and enable it to be implemented at any pediatric hospital around the country.
A confluence of factors has led to a nationwide baby formula shortage. Dr. Dale Lee, medical director of clinical nutrition at Seattle Children’s, shared some advice for parents with The Seattle Times.
Here are some key takeaways from Lee:
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Kendra L. Read, PhD, Attending Psychologist, Seattle Children’s
The pandemic has been difficult for many of us, especially for children and teens. Not only are children grappling with the challenges that naturally occur during formative years, but the weight of recent events has exacerbated mental health issues. At alarming rates, youth are reporting feelings of depression and anxiety. Read full post »
April marks National Donate Life Month, a time devoted to spreading awareness about the tremendous need for increasing the number of organ, eye and tissue donors. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 100,000 people in the U.S. need a lifesaving organ.
One organ and tissue donor can save or enhance more than 75 lives. Anyone can be a potential donor. Registering with the national registry and sharing your decision with your family ensures that your wishes are carried out. You can also be a living donor by choosing to give an organ or part of an organ to someone in need through organ donation.
Seattle Children’s has one of the best and busiest pediatric transplant centers in the nation, working across a six-state region to provide lifesaving organ transplants for patients. Seattle Children’s Transplant Center is one of the few in the world that performs living donor liver transplants, is one of the top five kidney transplant centers in the U.S. and also has some of the best survival outcomes in the nation for pediatric liver, kidney and heart transplants.
Dr. André Dick, senior vice president and surgeon-in-chief, who also serves as surgical director of the pediatric kidney transplant program, took time this month to talk about his journey to where he is now, what he does in his role at Seattle Children’s, and his priorities for the years ahead. Read full post »
The Hurtados enrolled their children in the Studies in Pediatric Liver Transplant (SPLIT) database which follows children who receive a liver transplant in the U.S. or Canada. They hope researchers will use this information to help other families like theirs.
Having one child in need of a liver transplant can be tremendously challenging for a parent. Eugenia and Justino Hurtado have four.
All four of the Hurtado children were born with Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) — a rare genetic metabolic disorder in which the body is unable to break down certain parts of proteins due to an enzyme deficiency. The disease can lead to a buildup of toxic substances that cause organ and brain damage.
Adolescents and adults with MSUD are also at risk for attention deficit disorder, anxiety and depression. Infections, stress, surgeries and injuries can lead to neurological damage at any age.
People with MSUD get most of their nutrients from a prescribed liquid formula. They can eat some low-calorie foods but must be very careful. If they stray from the diet, they can experience muscle spasms, breathing failure, intellectual and developmental disabilities or even coma. Read full post »
Just in time for Autism Acceptance Month, the Seattle Children’s Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center (ABC), which offers lifelong learning for people 18+ with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, reopened its expanded doors in late March, rolling out in-person classes for the first time since the COVID pandemic began.
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A five-part series highlighting the local artists commissioned to contribute original artwork to the new clinic
This is part five of a five-part series.
On March 7, 2022, Seattle Children’s new Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) opened the doors to begin serving patients from a second location in the Othello Square complex. In order to deepen the connection with the area, some 21 artists from the local community who are Black, Latinx or Indigenous were commissioned to contribute more than 30 pieces of original artwork in the new building. Using the guiding principles of art that would support health through nature, celebrate inclusiveness, cultivate wonder and joy, and celebrate and honor history, artwork was carefully selected and placed throughout the clinic to enrich the space. Take a journey below through the special artwork showcased throughout the clinic.
Rae Akino
Inner Child #1, 2019; Inner Child #2, 2019 – located on the exterior
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The 2022 Washington State Legislative session concluded in mid-March, after a whirlwind 60-day session. This was a historic session for many reasons, especially for child and youth behavioral health. There has been a growing focus on the national youth mental health crisis over the past year, and we are thrilled at the investment and commitment demonstrated in the legislature. Read full post »
