Medical facilities of Seattle facts for kids
Seattle is the biggest city in Washington. It has many large hospitals and medical centers. These places help people from all over the Pacific Northwest. This area includes Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana.
The University of Washington is a top school for medical research. It runs the UW Medicine system. This system includes important hospitals like Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center, and Northwest Hospital & Medical Center.
Harborview Medical Center is very important. It is the only Level I trauma center in the Pacific Northwest. This means it treats the most serious injuries. People with severe accidents from several states come here for help.
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Seattle's "Pill Hill"
The First Hill neighborhood in Seattle is often called "Pill Hill." This is because many hospitals and doctor's offices are located there.
Hospitals on First Hill
Harborview Medical Center is on First Hill. So are the main hospitals of Swedish Health Services and Virginia Mason Hospital.
Swedish Hospital was the first to open on First Hill in 1908. Virginia Mason followed in 1920. Harborview opened in 1931. Other hospitals also opened there but later closed.
In 1975, Doctors, Swedish, and Seattle General hospitals joined together. They formed Swedish Medical Center. Later, Swedish also added Ballard Community Hospital in 1992. They also added Providence Seattle Medical Center in 2000.
Medical Innovations in Seattle
Seattle has been a leader in modern medical services. The city helped create new ways to give emergency care.
Medic One Paramedics
In 1970, Seattle started Medic One. This was a new way to use paramedics. Paramedics are trained to give emergency medical care.
A TV show called 60 Minutes featured Medic One in 1971. They said Seattle was "the best place in the world to have a heart attack." This showed how good their emergency care was.
Group Health Cooperative
Group Health Cooperative started in 1947. It was one of the first groups in the U.S. to offer "managed care." This is a type of health insurance.
In 2017, Kaiser Permanente bought Group Health. They still run Group Health's main hospital and clinics. These are at the old St. Luke's Hospital site.
Medical Research Centers
Seattle is also home to many medical research places. Many of these are in the South Lake Union area.
These centers include the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. They also include the Center for Infectious Disease Research. The Allen Institute is another important research center there.
Other Important Hospitals
Seattle has other key hospitals that serve different needs.
Seattle Children's Hospital
The Seattle Children's Hospital is in the Laurelhurst neighborhood. It is a special hospital for kids. Doctors from Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming send children here.
This hospital started in 1908. It moved to Laurelhurst in 1953. It has grown to have 407 beds. Many doctors at Seattle Children's also teach at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
VA Puget Sound Health Care
The Seattle Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs also serves the city. This system is called Puget Sound Health Care. Its campus on Beacon Hill opened in 1951. It helps military veterans.
See also
- List of hospitals in Washington (state)
