Devoted to the care of children, committed to supporting families
Mary Bridge Children’s is more than just a place for children to heal. It’s a place for them to grow and thrive. It’s a place for families to find solutions and support. A place where medical expertise, compassion and advocacy come together to help children reach their full potential.
Our family-centered care philosophy
Families play a pivotal role in the health, healing and well-being of children. At Mary Bridge Children’s, you’ll find a broad spectrum of services designed to support you and your participation in your child’s care. Those services include the following:
Family-friendly rooms
Each room at Mary Bridge Children’s hospital has a TV and DVD player so children can pass the time watching their favorite movie. Our rooms also feature convertible beds so family members can stay overnight with their children.
Family Resource Center
The Family Resource Center at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital provides health information in print, on video and on computers for parents and other caregivers. Families can also access coffee and snacks, socialize and find comfort with other families of patients.
Child life specialists
Child life specialists help minimize stress and anxiety for children receiving medical care and their families. Our child life specialists help patients prepare for surgery or medical procedures through medical play; lead pre-operative tours; and offer coping strategies and other types of support. They work with children and families in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
Family and teen advocacy councils
Our family and teen advocacy councils consist of patients, parents, grandparents, foster parents and staff members who help us make decisions about programming and policies within Mary Bridge Children’s. The councils serve as a guide as we grow our existing services and create new ones.
Financial support
We aim to meet the health care needs of all children, regardless of families’ ability to pay. As part of MultiCare Health System, Mary Bridge Children’s provides financial assistance. Our financial navigators can walk you through the process to find and enroll in an appropriate financial assistance program.
Our mission, vision & values
Our mission, vision and values guide our decisions and help us deliver evidence-based, top-quality health care for children and their families.
Mission
Partnering for healing and a healthy future for kids.
Vision
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network will be the Pacific Northwest’s highest value children’s hospital and health network.
Values
Our values are at the forefront of every decision we make at MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network. They serve as our constant guide for how we behave, how we treat our colleagues and how we interact with those we are privileged to serve, from our patients and their families to our valued community partners.
- Respect: We embrace the infinite worth of all people, treat everyone with care and compassion, and affirm the dignity of each person with every interaction.
- Integrity: We speak and act honestly, do what is right and stand firmly by our principles, no matter the circumstances.
- Stewardship: We nurture all of MultiCare’s resources — including our most valuable resource, our people — to continually improve our organization for the benefit of our customers and communities.
- Excellence: We seek to excel in all facets of how we approach our work, how we improve ourselves and our organization, and how we care for our patients, our communities and each other.
- Collaboration: We actively work with others to achieve goals, recognizing that the power of our combined efforts will exceed what we can accomplish individually.
- Kindness: We will act always with generosity, consideration and concern for others, without the expectation of reward in return. We treat everyone as they would want to be treated.
- Joy: We cultivate joy for our patients, families and colleagues through the active practice of gratitude. We find joy in being connected to the work we do and why we do it.
How we’ve grown
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital was established in 1955, through the perseverance of the dedicated women of the Tacoma Orthopedic Association (now known as the Mary Bridge Brigade). They were convinced of the need for a specialized health care center in Tacoma to serve the children of the South Puget Sound region. Key funding came from the estate of Dr. Albert W. Bridge, a pioneer physician who practiced in Eatonville and Tacoma. The hospital was named for his mother.
Mary Bridge Children’s has grown from being the only pediatric hospital in the South Sound into a comprehensive regional network of health services for children, which includes:
- Inpatient care and outpatient specialty clinics
- A pediatric trauma center
- Outreach programs promoting health and safety
Our focus on quality and safety
Quality and safety in children’s health care are two of our greatest priorities. We believe in partnering with children and their families to prevent harm, promote healing and model respect at every interaction. Some of our key quality and safety focus areas include:
- Eliminating serious harm from events such as falls, medication errors, pressure ulcers and preventable infections
- Creating evidence-based care guidelines to assist in medical decision-making
- Partnering with a network of pediatric clinics to improve the health of children in our region
- Standardizing the care of newborns across Mary Bridge Children’s and MultiCare
- Aligning with regulatory bodies and national best practice standards for children’s health care
Work for Mary Bridge Children's
By living our values of respect, integrity, stewardship, excellence, collaboration, and kindness, we make Mary Bridge Children’s a great place to work.
Our mission of “Partnering for Healing and a Healthy Future for Kids” drives everything we do. Whether you’re involved in direct patient care or supporting those who are, your work will make a difference.
