Busiest emergency rooms – not where you might expect

Keith Seinfeld — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:30:00 +0000

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kplu/local-kplu-952107.mp3

New emergency rooms keep opening around western Washington. It's part of a trend.

On Thursday (Feb. 17th), Swedish Medical Centers will open a free-standing Emergency Department in Mill Creek, between Seattle and Everett. And, on the same day, MultiCare opens a new medical tower at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup -- which has the busiest ER in Pierce County.

It turns out, the busiest ER’s in Washington are mostly outside the biggest cities.

Hospital courtship: UW Medicine proposes to Valley Medical Center

Keith Seinfeld — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:07:56 +0000

King County's major medical centers continue jockeying for position in the emerging new health-care world.

U.W. Medicine and Valley Medical Center proposed this week what they call a "strategic alliance." Valley wants to retain its name, although the news release says Valley would become "part of U.W. Medicine."

Earlier this year, U.W. Medicine took over running Northwest Hospital (in north Seattle), without actually owning the hospital.