January 25, 2020
Swedish will temporarily close two of its seven emergency departments and one of its Labor and Delivery units during the labor strike that SEIU 1199NW will conduct from Tuesday, Jan. 28 to Friday, Jan. 31. Swedish has contracted with temporary staffing agencies to bring in qualified, experienced replacement caregivers during the strike, but we are not able to secure enough staff to keep all departments open. To ensure safe, high-quality care for the patients we serve during this period, the decision was made on Friday evening to consolidate some of our services. Swedish will continue to evaluate our staffing levels to put patient safety first, and will keep the media and the public informed of any future changes in operations that will have impact on the public.
Temporary Closures
Ballard Labor and Delivery
The Labor and Delivery unit at our Ballard campus closed Saturday, Jan. 25, at 12 p.m. and is expected to reopen at full capacity on Friday, Jan. 31 at 9 a.m.
For existing OB patients, if your appointment is affected, your provider will reach out to reschedule. Ballard OB patients who need immediate care should visit our OB units at Edmonds and First Hill.
Ballard and Redmond Emergency Departments
The Ballard and Redmond emergency departments will close on Monday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. and are expected to reopen on Friday, Jan. 31 at 8 a.m.
Individuals with life threatening and urgent medical needs should go to another one of our emergency departments or local / regional emergency centers. Our five other emergency departments (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Issaquah, Mill Creek and Edmonds) will remain open to patients during the strike.
For more information, visit swedish.org/about/swedish-news-blog.
