A children’s hospital is a very special place.
In fact, Jeff Poltawsky, president of MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, uses the word “magic” to describe a facility designed, dedicated, and staffed entirely with young patients in mind.
The Pacific Northwest gets an extra dose of that magic when the brand-new Mary Bridge Children’s opens in Tacoma on May 16.
Why this new children’s hospital matters
The six-story, $479 million facility will have 82 patient rooms, eight operating rooms, and a helipad in addition to hundreds of “specially trained, driven, and committed” staffers providing child-focused care in every specialty except for transplants.
Mary Bridge Children’s currently shares a facility with MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital but will return to being a free-standing hospital just for kids starting this spring. The new, 262,000-square-foot hospital is on the site of the original at Division Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
It comes at a time of growing demand by families seeking high-quality pediatric services close to home. And that means much, much more than having a few small beds and maybe a toy or two.
“Children are not small adults,” Poltawsky explains. “Everything has to be specific to them.” They also have different emotional needs and require different types of support.
The hospital will serve newborns through adolescents from across the state, as well as Oregon and Idaho, with a full spectrum of care. World-class professionals who specialize in treating the young will be working in beautiful, sophisticated facilities with state-of-the-art equipment.
The pediatric emergency department, with 38 treatment rooms and a mental health crisis stabilization unit, is the only Level II pediatric trauma center in Western Washington.
There’s a pediatric intensive care unit to help meet the region’s growing need for critical and specialty care. One of the operating rooms is especially for cardiac care. Mary Bridge Children’s recently launched its new Heart Center in collaboration with Cincinnati Children’s.
Designed for kids—and their families
The hospital is designed not only with the latest equipment and technology but also keeps in mind the unique challenges and potential stressors of having a hospitalized child.
For instance, every patient room will be private and have family quarters, including a pullout full-sized bed and a bathroom.
Larger, child- and family-focused spaces are also located throughout the facility. There will be playrooms on the floors housing young children. Adolescents will have access to areas designed for teenagers. There’s also an on-site bistro and coffee shop.
“By having unique spaces for all age groups, we make it as familiar and comfortable as possible for kids,” Poltawsky says.
That fits with Mary Bridge Children’s goal of putting kids and families first by tailoring medical care to young patients. Child Life Specialists aim to reduce kids’ anxiety by involving them in their care and explaining things in ways they can understand.
A space designed to comfort and inspire
“That’s what’s special about a children’s hospital,” says Poltawsky, who is particularly excited for people to see the hospital’s interior spaces, which he said are “beautiful and also playful.”
“Every child will see themself in the spirit of the building somewhere,” he said. Local artists were involved in designing spaces that reflect Washington geography: the sea, mountains, forests and rivers. They added special touches and fun details to be discovered upon close examination.
All in all, Poltawsky said, the design creates a safe, pleasant, comforting environment that also sends a message: You’re in good hands here.
Other thoughtful touches include dedicated parking, a single, easy-to-find entrance, accessible outdoor green spaces, and wide sidewalks.
A Tacoma legacy continues
Work began in early 2021 on the new Mary Bridge Children’s, which also houses medical offices and has room for future growth. Poltawsky thinks it might be Tacoma’s “best-kept secret.”
There’s also a special Tacoma story that unites the current and future Mary Bridge Children’s hospitals.
Of the $479 million cost to build the new facility – much of which was spent locally – $100 million came from local donations, including $20 million from the Tacoma Orthopedic Association, aka the Mary Bridge Brigade, which had been the driving force behind the original, 1955 hospital. That facility became possible when local physician Dr. Albert Bridge bequeathed his estate to build a children’s hospital, which was named for his mother, Mary.
“Their legacy continues,” Poltawsky said, “and will position Mary Bridge to be a dominant force in pediatrics.
“It’s a new era of world-class health care here in everyone’s backyard.”
