Service Changes to Women’s and Children’s Division

We want to inform you of upcoming changes to the Women’s and Children’s service line at Valley Medical Center, effective June 20, 2025. These adjustments are part of a broader restructuring aimed at ensuring the sustainability of our services amid significant financial challenges.

Background

Valley Medical Center is currently facing considerable financial pressures due to uncertainties in state and federal funding, as well as private sector reimbursements. These challenges have necessitated difficult decisions to scale back operations and restructure our workforce.

Key Service Line Updates

• Inpatient Pediatrics & Pediatric Neurology: The inpatient pediatric unit will close on June 27. We will begin to ramp down admissions on June 20. At that point, we will only accept hyperbilirubinemia readmits and will transfer out any other inpatient pediatric patients, including pediatric neurology. We will end all inpatient pediatric admissions, including hyperbilirubinemia readmits and pediatric neurology, on June 25. Any remaining pediatric patients will be transferred out by June 27. Our Outpatient Pediatric Neurology Clinic will close June 20.

• Maternity and Neonatal Care: Transitioning from Level III to Level II care.
• No longer accepting Level III transfers after June 12.
• All existing Level III antepartum, maternity, and NICU patients will be transferred out by June 20.
• After June 20, readmissions of newborns will be limited to those qualifying for Level II NICU care. A Level II NICU provides specialized care for babies who are born a little early (usually after 32 weeks), have low birth weight, or need help with breathing or feeding for a short time. A Level III NICU offers a higher level of care for more premature or critically ill newborns. It has more advanced equipment, staff, and providers to care for babies born before 32 weeks, with very low birth weight, or with serious health problems that require intense monitoring, neonatal subspecialty care, or surgery.
• Outpatient Clinics:
• Closure of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine clinic on June 20.
• Partial consolidation of Valley Women’s Healthcare in Covington to our Auburn and Renton campuses. Our last day seeing patients in Covington is June 25.
• Lactation Services: Discontinuation of all outpatient lactation appointments after June 20. Lactation consultations will still be available for postpartum patients during their hospital stay by referral.

We understand that these changes may impact referral patterns, transfer processes, and regional care planning. Our commitment remains to collaborate with you to ensure continuity of care for patients and families during this transition.

For any questions or coordination on shared patient care, please contact us at Cindy_Leyva@Valleymed.org or Jaime_Nephew@Valleymed.org.

Thank you for your continued partnership and dedication to serving our community.

Valley Medical Center
Women’s and Children’s Division