Update from WHHS

Dear Community,

At Washington Hospital Healthcare System (WHHS), our commitment to providing the highest quality patient care remains unwavering. As your trusted healthcare provider, we continuously assess our services to ensure we meet the evolving needs of our community, while maintaining responsible stewardship of our resources. Guided by our core principle, the Patient First Ethic, every decision we make is driven by the goal of delivering safe, high-quality care.

One of the most significant recent outcomes of this ongoing evaluation is the long-awaited opening of our Level II Trauma Center on July 1st, a critical milestone for our South County community. This achievement allows us to care for our most severely injured residents close to home—when every minute counts. Expanding access to trauma care is yet another step in our commitment to providing high-quality healthcare to all who rely on us.

In addition to trauma services, we continue to advance other vital programs, including our expanding heart program. Recently, we celebrated our 100th TAVR procedure (transcatheter aortic valve replacement), a less invasive option for treating heart valve failure. Shortly after, we performed our first Watchman procedure, implanting a device that helps prevent blood clots from forming and therefore reduces the risk of stroke. These advancements underscore our dedication to ensuring the community has access to cutting-edge treatments right here at home.

Looking to the future, we are actively building and expanding our facilities to meet the growing healthcare needs of our community. As part of our Facility Master Plan, we’ve recently completed a patient bridge connecting the future operating rooms in the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion (MHCCP) with our Center for Joint Replacement. Additionally, in MHCCP, we will be building out the remaining available space with new operating rooms, a full imaging center with advanced technology including MRI capabilities and updating our pharmacy among other departments. With our critical care units already housed in the MHCCP, this development allows us to consolidate emergency, critical care, and trauma services in one convenient location focusing on bringing to you the care you need.

Looking ahead, we are planning a new facility adjacent to the MHCCP that will provide additional medical/surgical beds, as well as expanded maternity services to meet the needs of our growing community. As we continue to grow and adapt, WHHS is well-positioned to serve this community now and for decades to come.

As we expand, we are also committed to operating efficiently, ensuring sustainability for the future. In line with this, we will be evolving certain services. After careful consideration, we will be closing our Inpatient Pediatric Unit on October 1, 2024. We will continue our commitment to provide pediatric care in the Emergency Department and through key services in partnership with UCSF Health. This difficult decision was based on two key factors: the availability of high-quality pediatric care at nearby specialized institutions and consistently low patient volume in our unit. Children can still receive care in our Emergency Department, and we will continue offering specialized newborn care through our partnership with UCSF Health, including our Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). More information about the Inpatient Pediatric Unit closure can be found in our dedicated FAQ.