SEATTLE — The Laurelhurst Community Council (LCC) has agreed to “fully support” Seattle Children’s as it seeks city approval to end the Medical Review Committee for helicopter landings, according to a joint statement released Friday morning.
The statement follows last week’s, since-deleted X post from a person claiming to be a life flight pilot, detailing a specific example of a policy that non-critical patients transported via helicopter to Seattle Children’s have to stop a mile down the road at a helipad behind the driving range on the UW campus, and be taken the rest of the way, about a mile drive, to Seattle Children’s.
The policy was borne out of a 1992 agreement between the hospital, the City of Seattle, and the Laurelhurst neighborhood bordering the hospital.
Last Friday, Seattle Children’s sent the following statement:
Every second counts when a child needs lifesaving care, and Seattle Children’s will always put the health and safety of our patients first. Most members of the Laurelhurst community are supportive and grateful for the services and care Children’s has delivered for decades. However, ongoing efforts by some to restrict helipad access put an unnecessary burden on the system. For context, Children’s receives three or fewer helicopter transports per week, and nearly all are admitted to an intensive care unit. We are eager to revisit the voluntary agreement Children’s has been operating under and welcome the support of community members or city leaders who would like to join the conversation
— Seattle Children’s spokesperson
A week later, on Friday, May 8, Seattle Children’s Hospital confirmed that “a meeting to discuss a path forward” resulted in LCC’s support of the hospital as it seeks city approval to end the Medical Review Committee for helicopter landings.
The decision also follows online pressure towards the Laurelhurst community.
In the release, Seattle Children’s thanked community members for the “outpouring of support,” adding that they are looking forward to future collaboration with the LCC, the City of Seattle, and community members.
“Children’s has served children and families for over 117 years and has the clinical and operational expertise to ensure patients receive the best possible care when seconds matter,” read the statement.
The release also included a statement from Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, saying, “I am grateful that there is a path forward to prioritize the needs of critically ill and acutely injured children. This is the kind of solutions-focused partnership our city needs more of.”