HEALTH CARE: Another provider taking over soon-to-be-ex-Swedish space in West Seattle

The West Seattle space that Swedish is vacating at 3400 California SW will remain a health-care clinic. We’ve been covering the plan for Swedish to move into The Junction but didn’t know until today what would happen to the building it’s leaving. Here’s the announcement we received:

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is announcing the opening of a new medical clinic in West Seattle this fall. This facility will expand options for new and existing patients in the community as the closure of the West Seattle Bridge creates a barrier for residents to access quality health services close to home.

The new facility will house primary care, internal medicine, laboratory and limited radiology services.

Specialty services will rotate weekly and will include:

Cardiology
Orthopedics
General surgery
Gastroenterology
Endocrinology
Women’s health

In addition to the clinic, West Seattle patients will have integrated access to nearby St. Anne Hospital if needed, as well as on-site specialists from our network, including legacy Virginia Mason and CHI Franciscan locations.

Virginia Mason became part of CHI Franciscan earlier this year. Meantime, Swedish is moving providers into two Junction sites, as reported here.

HS March 12, 2021 (3:26 pm)

It’s funny I feel like WS is getting so fancy with all these medical clinics. (grandpa voice) I remember when we had to walk 10 miles to see a doctor. If my feet hurt, I had to BUILD a boat and STILL walk once I reached the shore.

Bradley March 12, 2021 (3:27 pm)

So is CHI closing their clinic across from Trader Joe’s?

WSB March 12, 2021 (4:18 pm)

I’ve asked that on followup. No reply yet.

onion March 12, 2021 (3:31 pm)

Great news. Expanding choice and availability in West Seattle, although I wish Swedish had stayed put and Virginia Mason had settled in the Junction.

Alki Local March 12, 2021 (5:30 pm)

The elevator in the current Swedish location is in need of frequent repair. My 100-year-old mother who uses a walker nearly expired having to climb two flights of stairs for a recent appointment when the elevator was out of commission. I believe at the new location there is no elevator or stairs so we’re excited about the move.
- Sue H March 12, 2021 (7:08 pm)
  
  I used to live in that building (City Watch Apartments), so you’re correct, no stairs/elevator in the new place unless you park in the underground parking. Then you’d have to come up one level.

justme March 12, 2021 (3:36 pm)

People should be cautious when making the decision to use St Anne Hospital (formerly Highline) for Emergency Svcs as they are constantly packed, patients lined up along interior ER walls and waiting rooms filled beyond capacity. It’s a small hospital serving a very large area. I had a recent trip to the ER there and was told it’s always that way. People had been waiting over 12 hours to see someone. I wish they could expand somehow.

Sue H March 12, 2021 (4:25 pm)

Thanks for the heads-up. I’ve never been there, but was thinking it might be a good emergency option rather than going downtown. Guess not!
- Anne March 12, 2021 (5:38 pm)
  
  Have had great & timely service at St.Annes. Maybe like other things – it depends on timing,
- JohnW March 12, 2021 (6:01 pm)
  
  I can anecdotally share quite the opposite. My experiences with Harborview and Swedish several times as well as Highline is that the downtown emergency waiting rooms are far more scary with long wait times.
  You get competent care at all.
  
  My concerns with the Virginia Mason merger opening is the claim of women’s health services when they will no longer be providing abortions, further limiting women’s rights we all fought for decades ago.
West Seattle March 12, 2021 (11:37 pm)

I have to disagree with Highline Hospital. I had to take my daughter to the ER several weeks ago. My first inclination was, I want to avoid the downtown hospitals because of Covid & the bridge. We went to Highline with no expectations and they were wonderful. We got processed and In right away and she received amazing care! It definitely was not packed and I was impressed with how well they handled the intake of patients and the care that was given. I never saw anyone lined up against the walls. If I were to need to go to an ER/hospital anytime soon, I would not hesitate to make the short drive south to Highline! This daughter was also born there almost 19 years ago, we had an amazing experience in that as well, she hasn’t been back since this ER visit! My 90 year young grandma also had a great experience getting both of her Covid shots there and was very impressed with how efficient they were!

Michael Waldo March 12, 2021 (4:00 pm)

My doctor told me they were moving out of that building because the infrastructure needs to much work. He said the plumbing and heating and cooling and electrical all needed upgrades. He said it is not ready for an earthquake. Is CHI Franciscan going to remodel and do these upgrades? I one worked for CHI and they are cheap. There were two nurses strikes over pay and insurance when I worked there.

Ice March 12, 2021 (5:35 pm)

West Seattle needs an ER.

Kristina March 12, 2021 (8:36 pm)

I wish a UW clinic opened here instead.

Herongrrrl March 13, 2021 (3:08 am)

Same! It would be great to have a healthcare option in WS that did not limit care based on religous beliefs that are not shared by all patients!

WS resident March 12, 2021 (9:32 pm)

A nurse I know at Highline shared the gross news, before leaving several months later- they were sanitizing and re-using single use masks during covid, when I can confirm there was no shortage of medical PPE at the time. From the things I’ve heard from the inside of that hospital, I’d risk the wait, to make it to an actual hospital.

Lbalm March 12, 2021 (10:28 pm)

This was a common practice at many hospitals. https://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2020/05/04/coronavirus-mask-sterilization-research
Annie Hunt March 18, 2021 (9:20 pm)

That is not the only hospital or medical facility doing this with the masks!

Rick March 12, 2021 (9:50 pm)

No problemo. Just don’t get old.

Alki Local March 12, 2021 (10:20 pm)

“Just don’t get old,” tell that to my 100-year-old mother. She can’t figure out why she keeps waking up alive, alert, and relatively healthy; I think it’s mostly due to good genes and docs at Swedish.

hj March 12, 2021 (9:51 pm)

Isn’t it considered good journalistic practice to be more clear in the headline, for example instead of being coy, just state “Virginia Mason taking over soon-to-be ex-Swedish space…”? Or maybe things have changed from the Journalism 101 class I audited in the ’90s.

What's 20 more minutes to get to Swedish if it saves your life March 13, 2021 (2:50 am)

I cannot recommend Highline/St. Anne. I almost died because of the incredible incompetence there. I was there for five weeks with a raging infection they could not reverse, coupled with completely inconsistent and nonsensical treatment for excruciating pain.

During my time there, I saw one doctor and a couple of nurses who I received excellent care from. However, they were the exception, not the rule.

As my condition deteriorated, it was very clear I wasn’t going to survive if I stayed there. I arranged for an Uber, dragging myself to an appointment with a specialist at Swedish, thanks to a friend who referred me.

That doctor immediately arranged for me to be admitted into Swedish Hospital and I was in life-saving surgery the next day.

My experience between the two hospitals is that there is no comparison between the exceptional level of care and expertise at Swedish vs the haphazard treatment at Highline/St. Anne.

This happened a year and a half ago. I strongly recommend taking the extra 20 minutes to get to Swedish Hospital.

Trickycoolj March 13, 2021 (10:12 am)

Darn was hoping for Polyclinic. Oh well.

anonyme March 15, 2021 (8:06 am)

I had a second surgery at SOI in November. The experience made me vow to never willingly enter a hospital again. The admitting staff was not wearing masks. The room I was admitted to post-op had clearly not been cleaned at all, much less Covid-sanitized. There was dirty laundry, rumpled blankets and pillows on a bench where someone had been sleeping, an old robe across the chair, and a used spirometer and other paraphernalia on the tray table. The staff did not seem to know what they were doing, and some (like PT) were outright rude. The food looked like leftover scrapings from the grill. All in all, a scary and unsavory experience. The WS clinic location is dingy and weird, so I’m glad they are moving. More convenient, too.

Sorry, comment time is over.